A/N: Introducing Chapter Two! C: Please enjoy!

And it begins. 3

Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Sengoku Basara or its characters.

A cool summer breeze blew past the Oshuu Compound as the One Eyed Dragon yawned, tears of sleepiness at the corner of his eye. He sat lazily in front of his work desk, leaning on his left propped-up arm as he glanced over the paper in his right hand. On the side of the table was a teacup - refreshed every hour - and outside his open door was Aiko who was furiously wiping down the hallway with a wet towel and clothed in a new attire.

Every other second or so, he would peek up from his long document and watch Aiko as she worked steadily without stopping. Snorting, he realized that she had a much better work ethic than he did. Looking back at the document in his hand, Masamune could only refrain from yawning again by concentrating on the sound of Aiko working away. If he closed his eyes, he could hear her quick footsteps going up and down the hall as she swept the ground with both hands on the towel at full speed.

When he had given her the wet towel and bucket first thing, she had stared at him for a few moments in confusion only to have her face light up after understanding. Taking the equipment, she went on her way into cleaning the East Hall. Those expressions… Ha! He would say that she was endearing - cute, but even if he said that to himself, there was still something about her, about this that he needed to know.

And the need was the only reason why he kept her as his servant; he doubted she'd stay if she had no favor to return. Certainly, the boundless happiness that she portrayed even when doing routine tasks such as this meant that she was cared and adored by people she called family. The thought of her cheerful childhood in comparison to his brought no ill emotions from him and he watched her with his one eye in an unfamiliar tenderness.

Aiko wasn't like him. She wasn't cursed with a childhood plagued by disease that took his eye or a loveless family that pushed him away. No, she was much happier, Masamune thought firmly, and it was best that way. She didn't need to know the loneliness he had grown so accustomed to. And the fact she had family meant that they would miss her if she didn't come home safely. (But still, there was that lingering feeling that questioned why she would offer to stay for an undetermined amount of time if she had people waiting for her.)

Chuckling at the pleasant distraction, he grabbed his cup to sip on it only to grimace at it when he found that it was cold. "Hey, Aiko!" Masamune called out, waving the teacup above his head. "I need another-"

"-Cup?"

Before he could finish his sentence, the girl had already taken the cup from his hand and obediently went off to grab a hot cup of tea for him. Smirking in approval, the warlord leaned back and twirled his dry paintbrush as he waited for his cup of tea to return piping hot.

"Here you go," Aiko said softly. She set down the tea cup right next to him and went back to cleaning. Picking up the broom to sweep the random weed in the garden, Aiko let out a small sigh. Normally, she would resent following a person's orders, but the pain kept her constantly reminded that the man she was serving had saved her one way or another. Then again, she considered the fact that even without the pain, she would be eager to please him anyways.

Perhaps it was because of his looks (she flushed) or his charismatic personality that Aiko reacted differently to the warlord. Perchance it was due to the fact she had no clue on what she was feeling, a constant struggle with herself; being unable to identify her own feelings kept her from sharing them and sometimes that caused her a lot more pain than she would have liked. Slightly flustered, she began to sweep furiously, minding her injuries and her surroundings. After cleaning up for who knows how long, Aiko looked up at the sky, covering her eyes from the sun's bright light with her still-bandaged arms.

Maybe… Maybe she still considered this existence here a dream despite everything that had happened to her. She could only hope (or did she?).

Seeing as the girl was busy once again, Masamune took a drink of his tea only to be greeted by his retainer as he turned to his right. "Hey, Kojuurou, I haven't seen you since this morning," he told him casually, grinning freely, his eye spotting Aiko as studiously swept the garden. There was a pregnant pause as Masamune drank his tea, his retainer remaining silent for some time.

Kojuurou stared almost exasperatedly at his lord and thought about his response before speaking it out loud. Slightly uncomfortable, the Right Eye tread carefully. "Lord Masamune..."

Taking another sip at his tea, Masamune patted the space next to him, welcoming Kojuurou to take a seat. Before his retainer could sit comfortably and continue, he saw his lord's lone eye glimmer in amusement before whistling a high pitch. Coming almost immediately, Aiko faced Masamune and Kojuurou with a near revering expression on her face.

"Aiko, go get another cup for Kojuurou, would ya'?" Masamune said, and the girl nodded in understanding, and smiled gratefully at Kojuurou (for the fifth time?). Suddenly feeling awkward, Kojuurou tried to refuse the cup of tea, which only made the girl hesitate, unsure whether to follow his or his lord's order. Waving a flippant hand, Masamune drawled, "Ignore Kojuurou, Aiko; go get him a hot cup of tea, alright?"

Nodding in understanding, Aiko compliantly wandered past the corner and disappeared. Although she wasn't eager to follow orders, she was earnest in earning back the favor that they had, in her eyes, in saving her.

"My lord..." Kojuurou began, miffed by the situation he had witnessed in full, "...You honestly cannot let the poor girl serve your every whim just because she is earnest in paying back a favor that does not exist!"

Personally, Masamune agreed, but willing to keep his inexpressible feelings a secret for a while, he scoffed and folded his arms into his chest and retorted back, "Well, she insisted on helping out in any way she could. Who am I to complain? I always wanted a personal servant - even if it's just a little while. It's kind of amusing, don't you think?" Snorting at his own joke, Masamune rolled up the document that he had failed to successfully read for an entire thirty minutes; he definitely needed a break.

"And how long is this 'little while'?"

"I... haven't really thought about it."

Masamune shrugged, and took a sip before putting down his cup. At his careless attitude, Kojuurou's eyes twitched in annoyance - to think that he would act like a… like a child with a brand new toy! Honestly, Kojuurou thought exasperatedly, he should have known that the first moment a girl as innocent and sweet as Aiko doted upon his lord he would seize the opportunity to use that gratitude as much as he could.

Sighing, Kojuurou lifted his hand to his forehead as if expecting a headache to come soon. Despite this strange development, Kojuurou knew that his lord's feelings were not one-dimensional; there was something else that he wasn't seeing. Surely, these emotions, to have been brought out immediately by a person he hardly knew... Aiko really was something to already have his lord's affections and trust, though the man hardly realized it himself.

Kojuurou began to speak, "Do you really think she should spend the rest of her days at the compound as your servant? Is that all she's worth, my lord?""

Stopping in mid-action, Masamune whirled around to face Kojuurou with a surprised expression, his eyes widening as he wondered if Kojuurou had the same feelings as him. Quickly he covered his expression and asked casually, "Oh? What did she do to gain your approval, Kojuurou?"

At his genuine surprised expression, Kojuurou couldn't help but give a small huff and a smile, his previous irritation dissipating. His lord honestly didn't think he wouldn't see that micro-expression, did he? It was obvious this girl held up some importance for him, despite his rather… unorthodox way to show it. "And what did she do to gain your interest, my lord?" He pressed.

"Me? Well..." Aiko was... just a girl, but she had spark and flames behind those doe-like eyes of hers that admittedly lit a strange awareness in Masamune that knew that Aiko was different from everyone he knew. The raw determination intrigued the warlord just enough to make her stay, because somehow, somewhere in his heart of his, he knew that she was here... for him.

Somehow.

Though, it didn't seem that she realized this yet.

But Masamune simply gave a few beats of thought and responded, "If I'm honest, I don't really know; she's different?" He said, questioning himself with an amused smirk. He took a glance at Kojuurou, but hadn't expected the rather serious expression he took upon himself.

"...And I believe the same," said Kojuurou, straightening himself to emphasize the sincerity of the request he was about to make. Although it was on short-notice and Kojuurou wasn't sure either party would agree with him, he was certain that Aiko would be a... positive influence on his lord, if not a very large impact. (He could only hope it was good.) One thing remained obvious, however, and it was the blatant loyalty that Aiko already held for Masamune.

Blinking but interested, Masamune leaned toward his retainer in earnest. "What are you thinking, Kojuurou?"

Within the shade of the mansion, the light of the small Koi pond glimmered and made Kojuurou's eyes glimmer in enthusiasm.

"She can be your samurai, my lord."

Before... all this (whatever this was, Aiko thought), Aiko hadn't worked in the kitchen as much as she'd like. Though her mind was a little fuzzy on the events leading to her awakening within the hut, she was sure that her memories before were accurate - and knowing that, she still wondered every time she had a moment to think if this was all a dream.

The women in the kitchen bustled: clearing the tables, cleaning the vegetables, and washing the dishes. Amidst them was Aiko who was intent in helping out despite some of the ladies' insistence that she should be resting. Appreciative of their care, Aiko still managed to force herself in the kitchen to learn how things worked around here - the ladies probably allowed her in as an excuse for her to not work, but it was probably better this way.

The women and men, wherever they were in this place, had the old attire of Japan - rough cloth and all. Based off everyone's conversations, Aiko could assume that she was somehow... back in time? The thought was so ridiculous she almost laughed out loud (which would freak people out). The only reasonable explanation was that this world was a dream and she was in a coma from whatever happened before - but after smelling the god awful manure at the barn that she was ushered to because she was sooooo insistent, Aiko wasn't sure if this was a dream anymore.

Serves her right for wanting to work? Aiko wasn't sure when she was ever cared this much about her wellbeing, but then again she was never as injured as she was now. Her mother would always force her to lie down and recover when she was sick, always caring. Though, that was only when she was sick.

Flinching slightly at the remembrance of her abusive and kind words combined, Aiko shook away the lingering thoughts and continued to scoop up the manure into a cart that was supposed to be sent to the farmers by today. A horse snorted in her face as if it was laughing at her, and she gave it a leer before going back to work. As long as she kept working, she wouldn't think about home or question if this was reality or not.

Aiko continued to work, avoiding the inevitable question that she could not answer: If this was reality, how was she supposed to get back home?

The next time Masamune saw the girl was after dinner when the house had quieted down from its usual bustle. The night was illuminated by the waning crescent moon, and as Masamune looked up at the sky, the stars were shining brighter than before. He walked slowly in the halls with his arms crossed inside his shirt, the cool wind an appreciated comfort to him. Then, he saw Aiko sitting near the Koi pond, her fingers dipped into the chilly water as the fish gingerly approached her. She smiled brightly as one of the larger ones began to nibble on her finger and giggled, her laughter, for some reason, pulled at his heartstrings.

Shuffling through the grass as the breeze passed by them again, Masamune approached Aiko as she glanced up at him. She pulled her fingers away from the pond, making the fish splash away and creating a ripple in the otherwise unmoving pond. "...Ma- Masamune?" She stuttered, the name making her heart jump, though she wasn't sure if that was what she should address him as.

When the One Eyed Dragon did not respond, Aiko zipped her mouth shut and stared into the pond even as he silently sat down next to her. Except for the quiet murmur within the abundant rooms, the compound was still. Aiko fidgeted in her rigid position with her two legs pressed against her chest and willed herself to stare at the fish in the water instead of glancing at the handsome warlord. Nonetheless, when she stole a small glimpse at Masamune as he gazed into the dark sky, the moonlight's reflection off the pond flickered its light on his face, which had, at the sheer and sudden pull she felt for him, left her breathless.

"Aiko," he said unexpectedly, still facing up at the sky. Caught off guard, Aiko stuttered out a response. Hearing her flustered voice, Masamune smirked slightly before facing the girl with his piercing stare.

Tensing, Aiko could sense the somber mood and asked the warlord carefully, "...Is there... something wrong?"

"Why are you still here?"

Faltering before the sudden question, Aiko attempted to stay calm amidst the panic that was beginning to brew inside because of the question she didn't want the answer to. She stared at the war lord with a slight tilt of her head. Sighing lightly, Masamune continued, his voice questionably clipped and stiff, "What I'm saying is... Don't you have a place to go home to? Don't you have... a family? You seem rather relaxed for someone who was just kidnapped..."

At his blunt accusation, Aiko could feel her cheeks redden in embarrassment. How was she going to explain her feelings to him? She herself didn't exactly know what she was thinking let alone express those feelings in words to a person she would normally admire from afar. "...To be honest, I just think everything is a dream…?" Cringing at the way she worded her sentence, Aiko could only bite her lip and try to stutter her excuses. "Uh- w-wait, I- uh..."

A growing indignation rose from his chest and almost burst from his mouth in a series of shouts and accusations."A dream-?" Masamune started angrily, but shoved those words down his throat before they could be released. She thought everything was a dream? That he was a mere illusion created by her mind?

That this uncanny, extraordinary connection between them was just made-up?

Masamune growled and shook those pointless questions from his mind and glared at the cowering girl who was trying to recover from the bout of anxiety and embarrassment.

"I... I don't remember what happened to me before I woke up at the bandit hut," Aiko explained, her hands fidgeting over the silk cloth of her yukata, "so I don't know how I got here..." Her bottom lip trembled slightly as she continued quietly, "Everything here is different - the people, the culture, the way of living." Tasting some blood yield from the bite from her inner cheek, Aiko felt tears of frustration and pain well up in her eyes. Helplessly, she said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do here; I feel really lost…!"

"If you feel so strongly that this place is all a dream, then you should wake up," Masamune spat out harshly, unable to contain the anger over the circumstances of their meeting. A mere coincidence? Divine intervention?

Who was she? Why did they meet? Why did they feel so incredibly attracted to each other? These questions that brought more questions only gave Masamune on-coming waves of frustration. Another part of him knew that his anger was misguided but what was he going to do? All these strange emotions were threatening to overwhelm him.

"W-wake up?" The girl sputtered, her voice rising along with an abrupt anger, sharp tears of vexation pricking her eyes. Feeling feeling defensive and offended, she spat out bitterly, "How do you expect me to do that?"

"I don't know and I don't care!" Masamune yelled, turning away from Aiko, though if he hadn't, he would've seen the girl's face crumple from her short-lived tirade. Breathing heavily, he closed his one eye in failed attempt to calm down. What happened to his plan of 'getting to know her better'? "Just go if you want to leave!"

"B-but...!" Aiko closed her eyes tightly in a fear of abandonment that suddenly grasped a hold of her as the situation's outcome came to her in a crash of emotions. Her home? She didn't even know where that was anymore. And how about her family? Her parents?

Gone...?

A disturbing flash of disgustingly familiar distorted faces and splattered blood came into her vision before quickly disappearing as it came. Though, the meaning it portrayed was clear and it took her breath away.

"I..."

At the sudden ill-boding silence, Masamune turned his head to look at Aiko only to flinch in surprise at the sight of the look of a lost child on her face and of the lone tear it streaked down her face. Having been shocked into a calm state, Masamune could only mutely stare at the girl he had just started to know cry tears neither of them could understand.

Then, aware of the wetness on her face, quickly wiped away the tears with her newly bandaged hand and stared down at the ground, though it was blurry from the onslaught of never-ending tears. "S-sorry, I-..." Why was she crying? She stared at her hands through fuzzy vision and wondered why her heart hurt more than the scars on her body. She had known what happened, but because of it, now she couldn't remember a thing. Although her conscious self could not recognize the sadness, the deep parts of her mind remembered and wept with sorrow from the repressed memory.

And now… she knew.

A large and warm hand wiped the remaining tears on her left cheek and Aiko looked up and saw through her teary eyes, a kind and strong lord. She choked on the unexpected feelings that came at her as she looked at him again, though this time, they were warmer, less hurtful. She gently grasped his hand that was on her face and pressed it closer.

It was so comforting, so warm. This warmth... She welcomed it. A few more stray tears were brushed away. "I...I don't have… any place to go home to."

Masamune asked quietly, carefully, "...You really mean to say you don't have a home to go back to anymore?"

"I'm not sure, but..." Aiko murmured, closing her eyes and focusing on the warmth as it guided her through her memories. Her mother, her father, her grandmother, her grandfather, her uncle, her pet dog…

There was a sudden coldness that dropped her heart.

Gone.

"...Everyone's… gone…?"

"...Do you really think that?"

Aiko jerked her head up in surprise, half out of resentment at his seemingly heartless statement and half out of confusion. Sucking in a sharp breath, the girl stared at the warlord with hesitance. "What do you mean by that?"

"What if I helped you?" Masamune said suddenly, leaning forward, "Would you stay even for a little while?" The words "with me" were left unspoken. Despite its rather personal touch, the question he was trying to ask ever since he spoke to her was finally said. Although, with her puzzled expression, he knew he had to continue his explanation for her to understand, and hopefully, agree to stay with him until... well, he didn't know.

"This is what I'm offering," the One Eyed Dragon spoke, straightening his back and raising his head, taking away the hand that had comforted the girl in front of him. "Become my loyal samurai and I will help you find your way home because I know, you know, that despite everything that has happened to you," he made sure to look straight into Aiko's eyes as he said this, "there will always be someone waiting for you."

'There will always be someone waiting for you.'

There will always be someone waiting for her.

There will always be someone waiting for her-.

At those words, at that phrase that she had needed to hear all along, Aiko felt new and warm tears cascade down his face and onto her hands. The fact that Masamune, the One Eyed Dragon, her savior, said that she will never be alone in this world meant more to her than anyone would ever know.

He told her she was loved. He told her she would never be forgotten. He told her she had a home to go back to.

Letting out a teary laugh, Aiko tried to look at the man in front of her through a blurry vision. Giving him a wet smile, but a thankful smile nonetheless, Masamune couldn't help but smile back. Despite those rather... soft words, Masamune really did honestly believe that this girl, who was crying and laughing at the same time, must have someone alive who wanted her back home safe and sound as soon as possible. And he was going to help her.

Setting his record time for patience, Masamune waited with a gentle gaze as Aiko turned her soft cry into a light giggle. With glossy eyes, Aiko gave him a warm smile and sighed. Turning back to the pond, she asked quietly, "...You want to me to be your samurai?"

Huffing with a small endearing quirk of the lips, Masamune nodded, telling her, "That's right. And until you find your way back, you'll stay with me. It's another deal - a better one, if I might say so myself."

Aiko let him hear another one of her laughs; one that sounded like the twinkle of bells that are heard only during festivals - lively and carefree. She knelt down and faced him, telling him with a bittersweet glance, "You're so sure you'll get me home, but I'm not even sure where it is!" What she didn't expect him to do was answer with the most serious expression she'd seen on him.

"I'll get you home."

And all Aiko could do was give him a whimsical smile, being unable to respond back with her heart at her throat at the statement that was said so confidently, so sincerely. Clearing her throat as best as she could, she thought out loud and said optimistically, "...I can always end up staying with you, right?"

Giving her a grin, Masamune acknowledged that thought heartily, "Definitely." Though, seeing as she was looking better than before, he treaded carefully as he continued on his offer for her to become a samurai. "...You'll swear to put your life on the line for me, a man you met only about a few days ago. Is that really alright with you?" Finally able to relax, Masamune leaned back on his arms and stared into the pond at the fish. "It's usually a life-long contract, but I'll let it go for you. How about it?"

"...Well, I guess if it's you, it'd be fine..." Aiko trailed off, suddenly realizing that everything was okay just because it was Masamune and not anyone else. Before she even knew it herself, she had already given her all to him. "But I'm just not sure if I can be a…" A samurai? How can she?

There was a slight pause and then a small sigh before he responded, "I know I didn't really give you a choice on this, but... this is your best option if you want to get home; we're all at war and finding your way back home isn't going to be without a fight."

Nodding numbly and then setting her jaw in a bout of determination, Aiko said firmly, "...Okay. Alright, I'll do it. I don't know how good of a samurai I'll be, but I'll try my best...!" Giving it a bit of a pause and then giving the One Eyed Dragon a bashful smile, she cleared her throat and gave him a low bow of respect, "...Lord Masamune."

Smirking, the feeling of anticipation and tenderness washing through him again, Masamune replied back, "That is no problem,Miss Samurai." Pausing, Masamune brushed back a portion of her hair behind her ear before giving her a small smile and standing up.

After saying his last words, Masamune quietly walked back to his room to sleep, knowing somberly and with absolute certainty that the girl he left behind was mourning for one last time. She would first, stay in peaceful numbness, remembering the happy times with her family, the sad ones, the good ones, and slowly, she would force herself to realize that they were gone. Tears would fall down again without end as she buried her face into her hands and as her body shook with muffled sobs of sorrow at the death of her loved ones.

The process was familiar, but everyone mourned differently. Her pain from loving her loved ones would be completely different from his loss of family he never got to know. For that reason, Masamune could not help her. This was something he knew she had to handle on her own. Even if he rationalized the fact that Aiko would be fine, Masamune could still hear the sound of her cries even if she was on the other side of the compound.

And yet, another day had come and passed, and Masamune had gained another samurai.