The End of the waltz

Chapter Two Salvation

"Salvation is the act of saving one's self"

~unknown

As the moon rose in the eastern sky, and the chill wind's picked up speed, Ayame Taylor sat vigilant and watchful from her branch some thirty feet above the ground. A pen and note book balanced on her lap, she dated the top of the line page March 7th After Colony 203. (The era of the waking dead)

Every night while on her turn to sit and look out at the night to keep the children safe, she wrote little bits in the note book, piecing together the history that had brought about the end of life as all people knew it. (so far as earth was concerned.)

In my last passage, I wrote of the events leading up to the Six simultaneous Terrorist attacks fueled by cowards. Tonight I shall tell you of the events that shattered all manner of history right out of the water. Sending Earth back to the dark ages.

The Date was exactly four years ago this night, when the event took place. I wasn't in the city, and as such was very lucky. At exactly 12:00 GMT Six Preventer out posts across the earth where struck by a chemical agent only known to Preventers as Standard X. It was a pathogen developed using the Spanish flu, Rabies and a multitude of other chemical and biological compounds. It was originally meant to simply send people in to a frenzy before dropping dead. Possibly infecting others to incite a panic in order to gain an upper hand in a power struggle between Preventer, and a Shadow's organization that we have never learned the true name of- and most likely never will. Needless to say, the infected didn't drop dead- the original bio weapon mutated in the final stages of deployment.

I was with Sonya, who was at the time the President of Trinity industries, and Sergio Pharmaceuticals, also she was the key suspect in helping to develop these weapons that Preventer had only found traces of during raids of wear houses, while attempting to get control of a quickly growing fire. I was her 'Unofficial' Body guard. I remember that we where driving in her car to make our way back to the City when I watched a noxious green gas cloud rise above the sky line of Berlin, directly above the area where Preventer was located. The exact location to which we were headed.

I remember that I couldn't think, my brain simply froze watching that cloud rise that symbol of Preventer's and my own personal failure. It was a sight I will never forget- cars swerving trying to pull over, cutting everyone off simply to stop and look at this terrorist attack. The area for forty miles simply stood in shock.

I was glad that Sonya was able to push down on the breaks or we both could be a lot worse off. Preventer's Emergency broadcast channel was activated almost as soon as Sonya got the car stopped and it was like the executioners ax hitting home. The recorded voice of Anna Une spoke evenly and effectively to the population explaining to every man woman and child on earth, the colonies and in the new mars project.

She told them a deadly virus was making it's way through populated cities, and those within the cities borders where long dead. And Planet wide evacuation order was issued, and panic ensued.

She stopped writing something perking her senses up. She closed her note book and slid it in to the plastic folder strapped to the trunk of her tree dropping her pen inside. Slowly she stood on her branch, eyes well adjusted to the light of the full moon. She was able to see for quite a distance even in the forest, thanks to the trees not being quite in full bloom.

Ayame reached above her head, and pulled her preferred weapons from their cozy place. Slinging a MP5 assault rifle over her shoulder she gripped the hilt of a long bladed katana. Slowly she closed her eyes using her free hand to support her in the tree she listened for the tell tale signs of an infected wandering the area.

It was a faint noise, but she could hear the shuffled stumbling of one infected in brush below here, the low groaning noise most of them made seemed to echo like an explosion in her senses. I got too caught up in my writing. Ayame thought to her self as she moved slowly to get a visual of the creature. She couldn't it call it human, and she wouldn't call it an animal for it was nothing like either save for the forum of a human, and the instincts of an animal when infected by rabies. Even so, that description didn't do the things justice. It couldn't express the magnitude of what such beings where. While most of them moved slowly- once they caught either the scent of a food source or herd the movements of one, their speed increased greatly. It seemed at times almost super human.

Once any of the infected caught the sent of fresh blood they would continue to hunt the owner of the blood they smelt. She knew this by experience, she had witnessed such a they are killed by severing the spinal column from the skull (either by decapitation or a stabbing the spine it's self), or destroying the subjects brains entirely, Another characteristic of the creatures where that their blood didn't infect a human being, only their saliva. The only title that she could rightfully give to such creatures was zombie.

Climbing down a few branches Ayame watched as a slow moving male made his way out of the brush on the opposing side of the dirt road. He had come from the direction of the river, which told her that he was from town. If one had wandered out this far then there where bound to be others.

Placing her Index and pinky fingers in her mouth she let out a nightingale call as loud as she could, startling something in the trees near her. She waited to hear a returned call before sliding down ever so slowly to the ground landing near silently on the pine needles. She moved in a stop frame type of stalking motion watching every move and every reaction of what was in essence her prey. Gripping her katana with two hands she made her way out of the brush, cautiously watching the surrounding dirt road for any signs of other infected.

She could clearly see the man now- or rather what had at one time been a man. He stood a little over five and a half feet, and was stick thin, the torn trousers he had worn on his last day of life had dark brown blood stains and stains from what appeared to be excrement, She could see the decaying muscle of his left thigh through the back of his pants, which hung close to falling off completely. He had on an unbuttoned shirt, no doubt from the feeding frenzy that had taken his life originally. On the left side of the flapping material was a small gold tie clip just barely hanging on. His skin was so white it looked almost transparent, and bits of flesh hung off the back of his skull as if someone had been pulling on his hair and took the skin right along with it. He was listening intently for something, or so it appeared as his head moved from side to side. Most likely my whistle...

She closed in, raising her katana in to striking position, ready to simply cleave in to the base of the infected skull before he even knew what hit him. A stick snapped to their right, and Ayame's heart leaped in to her throat. She didn't waist time to strike as the man's head whipped towards the sound snarling.

Ayame felt the blade slice through the thin layer of skin, and lodge in to the spacings between vertebra. Giving the blade a firm two handed twist a loud pop echoed dropping the man dead on the spot. A single gasping breath escaped his lungs in his final Death rattle. With a foot to the back of his head she tugged her blade free bringing with it a sound of wet suction and her boots to become covered in rotting flesh matter.

Her crystalline blue eyes scanned where the sound of the twig snapping had come from, and watched as another sluggish forum moved towards her, as it's head lifted she saw the red reflective glow to it's eyes just before it let out it's hunting cry. (or what she perceived to be a hunting cry.) A long unnaturally high pitch scream that sounded much like that of a falcon as it descended to catch it's next meal, only much more demonic in nature.

She gripped the end of her K-bar and tossed it at the hulking creature which looked to be much taller and much more in girth then the first man she had fell. The knife flew true, directly in to the left eye socket blacking out one of the reflective indicators "Shit."

Ayame had hoped to use the eye reflections to track the thing in the darkness. That will teach me to look at what I want to hit. She pulled her rifle around her and unlocked the safety, pulled the action bolt and shouldered it. Her sight's lined up a split of a second after the action began. She squeezed the trigger once, letting off a short burst of two bullets. She it hit him somewhere around the head by the way he had fallen.

Quickly she jogged in to the brush and sought out the fallen creature. "You are not getting my knife..." She muttered to her self finding the thing still trying to crawl forward, her shots grazing the side of his thick skull.

"May your soul finally rest in the comforting company of our creator mother and father. Blessed Be." She put her rifle on the infected beings forehead and glanced away as she pulled the trigger. As the thing dropped limply to the ground Ayame tugged free her K-bar and wiped it clean in the dirt before placing it back in the material holder on her leg.

She took a long look around her watching, where there was two there was more. A no truer truth had been spoken when pertaining to the infected. One could have been a straggler, but two, never. The forest was infested and she knew it. Tonight is the night we move on. She thought to herself ready to make her way back to the waiting and prepacked hum-vi.

Kat had been right to be somewhat excited to see those survivors for Ayame noticed that they may not have been Preventer per-say but, one had most definitely been a gundam pilot. Ayame never forgot a face, and his face had been plastered all over The earth-sphere news networks during the war of 195 when Oz had taken his mobile suit and captured him.

Ayame stopped moving feeling like someone or something was watching her and she couldn't see them. She wasn't far from the tree she had been camped in, she could see the florescent paint on the bark. Her gut plummeted as she thought of running back to the tree. Running was never advised if they could see you and not the other way around. Get a grip, this is definitely not the time to panic Taylor. Her inward growl got her feet moving. She ran swinging her rifle so it rested on her back and leaped in to the tree her hands stretchinggrab the first branch. She pulled herself up with a grunt as their cries exploded around her.

Climbing up to her perch at a rate that was much faster then she had planned. Ayame reached in to the side pocket of her small back pack and pulled out a small hand flare. She loaded it and aimed downward Pulling the trigger sending out a loud pop as the magnesium ignited and as it hit ground exploded a second time illuminating everything within sight range. She felt every particle of her being drop as she looked down at what had to of been the residents of the town across the river, and then some.

"fuck me." She loaded a red flare in to her gun, stuck it between her teeth and scrambled as high in the tree as she could go all the while keeping and eye on those gathered below. Gripping to the tree with one hand Ayame cleared the tree top with the flare gun and shot it straight up. She herd the roar of the hum-vi as it tore out of the clearing almost as soon as the flare was out of the weapon. Good, they listened to me. She felt relief in knowing that they would be able to get away while she was the only one who would potentially get the brunt end of the agreement.

Kekko gripped the steering wheel as they traversed over the uneven terrine bouncing dangerously through the thicket. The children where crying in the back being held by Sonya, Akira and Kat working together watched the rear of the hum-vi weapons loaded.

"Do you think she'll make it Sonya?" Mary's voice whimpered as she whipped at her tear stained cheeks. "I don't know Mary, but I can say for sure that she will do everything in her power to get back to us."

"-And if she can't, then not at all." Kat added looking at the girl with a knowing smile. "Promise?" When Kat nodded Mary clung to jimmy and buried them closer to Sonya. "I don't want Ayame to come back as one of them!" Jimmy sobbed and Kekko's knuckles turned white on the steering column.

"Won't happen." Martin's voice was stone calm as he sat in the front seat beside Kekko, "Ayame-sensei would sooner commit sepaku. She made a promise to you Jimmy and My sensei never breaks her promises." The young boy looked up at Sonya, asking "Really?"

"I can assure you Jimmy, Ayame has never broken a promise." At Sonya's words Akira laughed from her spot at the back of the Hum-vi. "Because she very rarely makes promises to keep." Jimmy nodded trusting and believing the two adults who had watched over him since his own mother had been bitten by one of the zombies.

Kekko growled as she whipped her head to one side. "HOLD ON!" she called over her shoulder as they jumped out in to the open. Kekko's hands were rapidly reefing on the wheel of the vehicle effectively sending the hum-vi in to a tail spin. In the rear view mirror she watched as Akira and Kat held on for dear life. "Pull her out!" Akira yelled back at her, hair flying in all directions like that of fire.

"I am trying!"

"Don't Try! DO or we are going in the river!" Kat called. The vehicle shook and the breaks squealed. Kat lost hold of her rifle and in her attempt to reach for it snagged her arm on a canvas tie for the top of the hum-vi. Akira herd a loud pop-crack as Kat screamed in pain, "Just hold on Kat! Don't you dare let go!" As Kat's eyes met hers, Kekko got the vehicle to slam to a stop.

"Shit, shit shit." Kat was chanting, her eyes watering and arm throbbing. It felt like a thousand needles had all been stuck in her arm and were injecting acid in to her all at once. "Just don't move." Akira jumped from the hum-vi leaving her rifle inside as she moved to where she could get a better look at Kat's arm.

"Well, it's broken." She said trying to sound nonchalant, and failing more then a lot. "No Kidding!" Was Kat's hissed reply. Akira gave the woman no warning as she placed her foot on the metal step-up and gripped the hold bar beside the woman's head. "Try to be still."

"Hurry up Aki, we have to keep moving!" Kekko ordered from the front seat, "Yeah, I'm trying." Akira pulled out a K-bar, much like the one Ayame carried most everywhere, and sliced through the canvas material but Kat never saw the blade that cut her free; didn't even know she was free because she fainted from the pain. "Gun It Kekko! We'll deal with her." Sonya spoke up.

Kekko didn't need to be told twice, Her two toned eyes narrowed at the bridge a head of them, hell bent on making it at least that far.

Ayame pulled her pack down and removed from the top a live grenade. She swallowed hard as she risked a glance down at the grouping of infected. The shadows cast by the light of the ground flare brought Ayame to shudder as a cold chill worked it's way through her.

"You can do this, better then being eaten by them." She coached herself shifting carefully around the trunk of the tree to place it between her and the majority of the horde. "I send this prayer to ye oh lady of the night. Please bless my family who travels with out me. Keep them safe and keep them together that is all I ask of you my eternal mother. Of you Father I ask a new, please oh lord let my aim be true. Should this night be my last, I await the time I finally meet you." Ayame spared a second to look at the full moon above, as the light from the flare started to sputter out. She stood rigid waiting for the bout of wind to finish.

Once gone she lifted the grenade to her mouth and pulled the pin. As the spoon popped out on the pineapple shaped explosive she lightly tossed it in front of her and listened as it hit the tree branches on the way down.

The five seconds it took for the explosion to rocked through the night, were the longest moments in her entire life. Her only thoughts in what could be her last five seconds where simply Please do as I asked... go to them, for I cannot- her thoughts never finished.

"What the hell was that?" James one of the men Duo had taken on the supply trip earlier that day exclaimed leaping from his spot beside the warming fire. His hands searching for a weapon to hold. Duo and his two brothers where already standing.

"That's close." Duo murmured as he glanced at Heero who slowly nodded, "Maxwell, Yuy up." both men followed Wufei's gaze to spot a small red flare falling from the sky, it was a good distance away but still close enough to be some cause for concern. "That wasn't the explosion we just herd." Brad uttered and Duo couldn't help but agree. "No, it was not."

"Do you think it's those other survivors we saw today?" Brad was middle aged, but in great shape. He had been a civilian throughout the war, and even after never found the urge to join Preventer or some of the smaller local policing forces. Despite this, the man had proven time and time again that he held the natural talent to be either.

The man was taller then most in the camp standing at six foot two inches. He was a tidy man, keeping his dark hair cut short, and his jaw smooth. His auburn-brown eyes and olive skin tone showed his age but aged him well. "Most likely, but they seem to have stopped near by instead of continuing onward- Wait what's that noise?" James whirled around and started running towards a tree. He too was fairly tall standing at six feet even. Using his height he made jumping in to a tree look like child's play.

"What do you see?" Duo called up to the twenty three year old.

"LIGHTS ON THE ROAD!"

Duo drew in a slow deep breath. "Is it the Hum-vi?" He called out. "Sounds like!" Brad affirmed from the same general direction. "Lights Out!" Heero called over the sudden commotion. Stepping away from the fire. "We cannot afford to get in to a fight with other survivors, we will try to blend in with the area, keep quiet as the they pass hopefully they will just continue on their way."

"Well then I think they are headed in this general direction, straight through the forest." James scurried down the tree just as fast as he had climbed it, as was waiting when Duo handed him his rifle. "Fools, they're going to bring the infected with them."

"Shooters! Ready your weapons in case defense is necessary!" Wufei added to the orders being thrown about the camp while Duo stood watching the distant forest. He couldn't hear anything above the chatter of the group, his sniper's eyes straining to see across the distance.

"QUIET!~" Duo bellowed as he kept his eyes trained on the deceptive forest. The camp became silent and his eyes widened as it did. "Scatter!" Duo jumped out of the way as the Hum-vi crashed through the brush ate dirt, skidding to a stop beside the fire pit.

Wufei and Heero stood at the front of the vehicle rifles already risen. "Don't move." The order was silent, but herd clearer then any sound made that night.

Kekko's foot slammed on the break jostling everyone in the back of the vehicle. "Oi! What the Hell!" Kat growled from her spot on the flat bed. "I think we found them." Came Kekko's response as her hands rose slowly above her head. "They don't look happy to see us." Martin added flatly mimicking Kekko's motions.

"Let me see- gha-" Akira pulled Kat back on to her but jostling her broken arm. "Stay put idiot. Ayame gave us instructions, we are going to follow them to the letter." Kat was about to protest when the back flaps of the Hum-vi where pulled open. "YOU!" The man standing at in the opening gasped eyes settling on Sonya. Akira's rifle was up and pointed at the man "We don't want a fight, but we will if you don't step off." She warned the acid searing her every word.

When her head stopped spinning enough for her to realize she was still alive Ayame bowed her head and whispered a short sweet prayer. 'I thank the lord and lady for your blessing of survival this night.' She knew that she didn't have time for anymore stalling. Shakily she opened her eyes and glanced downward.

The moon while at it's zenith was brightest and gave her plenty of light to see properly. (her eyes being adjusted to the darkness didn't hurt either.) As she looked she could see that the grenade had dropped further away from the base of her tree then she would have liked, but the impact of the explosion was sufficient. A goodly portion of the infected where on the ground, some still moving but most dead. On the outer ring of the fatality reach of the grenade a few pockets of the infected where down. Most of those who were not- were making their way to fill in the space at the base of the tree arms reaching up to try and grab their next meal... her.

Ayame took a deep breath inward and started ensuring that she had everything she needed. Her rifle was still strapped to her back and undamaged, her bag still hung from the tree if only just. In her jacket she could feel the weight of extra ammunition, and the few lowly packets of freeze dried emergency rations that seemed to never expire. The only thing that was missing was her katana, the loss of which was a great one, but when compared to the cost of one life next to nothing.

Glancing up to where her bag hung she noted that it too had moved, and was further out threatening to fall at the slightest gust of at a dangerous angle she strained to retrieve it, her fingers skimming the fabric three of four times before she finally got a firm hold on the materiel. Swinging her bag on to one shoulder Ayame gripped an upper branch of the tree for some kind of support.

Her fingers brushed the plastic case that she had sucured to the tree upon their first night in the region, and sighed. She wasn't normally the kind of person who delt with sentimentality, but she couldn't just leave the note book written history of the earth as she knew it. That she wasn't willing to do. She pulled it free from the trunk with a quick jerk and slid the thing in to her pack. Shifting so her rifle was at her side while balancing precariously on the thin branch managed to get Ayame bag on her back. Using one hand she snapped the buckle that kept the bag firmly attached to her- it would do her no good to loose the thing.

All the while she was trying to think of a way to avoid direct contact with the infected. She knew from experience that a horde of infected of any size was near suicide to face. Her blue eyes scanned the trees, and it was like the gods above where with her, for a cloud shifted and brought a moon beam to illuminate a single branch the was long enough to connect with a near by tree. From that branch a route begun to take shape before her eyes.

It wasn't going to be easy, but Ayame had been a preacher of no pain no gain. It applied to the pains of getting what you need or want in life, and her need of survival was worth the pain of difficulty. With out further stalling Ayame slipped around the trunk of the tree and started running along the thicker branch. The further out she got, the more the branch bowed, but she trusted her gut instinct enough to have faith that she wouldn't fall.

She had survived the war by relying on her instincts and she had survived this mess of humanity by those same instincts. Ayame would not abandon them now. She reached the end of the first branch and jumped hand out reaching for a hold on something to support her as she landed. She got her balance and took off again. Being a person of logic Ayame knew the more she thought about what she was doing, the more likely she was to freeze up.

With out thoughts, and with out hindrance she moved, following the trail nature had given her. Quickly she was jumping and moving with out a pause in between. It reminded her of the days during the war and it also reminded her of her child hood.

Below her the cries of the infected following her where paramount, they weren't intelligent in the sense that they worried about tripping on roots or other infected, and that gave her an advantage in this chase. She held speed while they kept falling. Granted they managed to hunt me effectively... her mind spoke to her. It brought about a shudder of cold fear for Ayame knew that if they could hunt then perhaps they where starting to acquire an intelligence far beyond what should be possible in a rotting corpse.

James stood his weapon risen, he watched those in the back of the hum-vi; His eyes followed the path behind the injured and armed woman to spy two children clutching at another adult. His eyes looked to her face and he felt the world go still. He must have gasped because the armed woman rose her weapon, she spoke but he was not listening.

"Oi! Maxwell, You may wanna see this!" James kept a cautious eye on those in the back as he leaned around the side to call. Duo moved towards him and he held the look of a man who's feathers had been more then slightly ruffled. A twig stuck out of his hair and James had to keep from snickering- which when he looked at the murder in Duo's eyes wasn't hard.

Duo moved past James and looked inside the back of the hum-vi, "put down your weapon." He ordered, his violet eyes scanning the back of the truck taking a head count. "I already told your friend that we don't want to fight with you but we will if necessary. That said, no."

Duo knew that voice and had the urge to open fire simply because he wanted the woman dead- she was after all the one who threw the grenade that killed rick. "Aki-"

"Mary shh, just stay behind me." Duo's eyes flicked to back of the hum-vi and peered in to the shadows seeing two children that he had missed on his first look. Then he looked at the woman who had spoken to the child named Mary who he couldn't see, and his eyes widened in shock.

There wasn't a person alive who didn't know who that woman was. "heh, well this is just great. How the hell am I supposed to be all tough when you have kids in the back." Duo sighed, lowering his weapon enough to look at James. "Oi, Tell Chang and Yuy we have kids here."

James didn't move at first but when he made eye contact with Duo he nodded. "Yeah right."

"Are you Duo Maxwell, former pilot of the Deathscythe gundam?" The woman from the front seat stated flatly still looking out the windshield "Yeah, but it doesn't take a genius to figure that out lady." The woman in the back of the hum-vi still held her weapon at the ready, and Duo knew that this situation was not going to be an easy on to deal with.

"Look, we don't want to be here any more then you want us here, but we promised our sister that we would come to you and warn you." The woman holding the weapons spoke evenly, coldly towards him. He didn't have to respond as Wufei made his way around the back of the hum-vi and peered inside.

"Sonya Sergio... Interesting." Wufei's weapon was put away as he climbed in to the back of the hum-vi. "Girl put that down, unless you think it's smart to use it." Wufei's eyes remained on Sonya's. "Your' supposed to be on mars."

"So the rumors keep reminding me." Sonya dislodged the children from her and stood up. "Ayame sent us here knowing that Duo was present in the area. Though I doubt she would have waited so long if she knew you where here as well Wufei."

Wufei looked at the two children who sat huddled together in the back of the hum-vi. "You have children with you... " Wufei looked back at Duo who was watching the hum-vi closely. "Duo" At the call of his name Duo met Wufei's gaze and nodded swiftly.

"We have our own supplies and don't expect to be catered to, all we ask is that you hear us out and maybe we can all work together to survive." Sonya extended her hand to Wufei, "But for now we'll settle simply for conversation."

"Agreed." Wufei shook her hand and found himself transported back in time to when he first met Sonya Sergio in person. Somethings never change...

"There is no way I can do this... even I have my limits." Ayame muttered glancing at the river below her. Can't back down now! She mentally called her feet already making the decision running at the center point of the river. You are alone! You have to save your self! She jumped, hitting the fridig water with enough force to bring all the air out of her lungs at once. Panic bubbling to the surface near instantly -there was a reason you where always taught that swimming in a river was the last thing you should ever do!

Despite her survival training before, during and after the earth's war she found it difficult simply staying afloat long enough to start swimming. Her lungs where burning as she finally broke surface. The water splashing up in her face as she gasped for the air she desperately needed.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to make a straight across swim but she hoped that her angle of dive would allow her to at very least make it past the half way point before she really tired. Her arms pumped in a steady patterned front stroke. Her muscles trembling and yet oddly she found her self suddenly emerged in a memory.

"Ayame, your slowing down! If you ever need to make a quick get away how do you expect to traverse the elements if you can't swim the current here? You need to improve! One day you will need this training more then you even know!" The shouter knew that she could hear them, they also knew that she was ignoring them trying to concentrate on the pacing she had set for herself. She had to beat the time she had for their last session. "That's enough, your done. You can't do it in your current state."

At fourteen years old, most children don't like being told they can't do something, Ayame Taylor was no different. She wouldn't admit she was wrong and she was stubborn enough to cause self injury in order to get what goal she had set. At her age she was a big believer in no pain no gain- it had been drilled in to her by the woman pacing the deck above.

A buzzer killed the water current unexpectedly and Ayame faltered in her swimming only to come up coughing. "Rina-Sama! Why did you stop!" She called, upset and rightly so, but the woman staring down at her with bright blue eyes much the same as her own was glaring at her pupil. "What do you think you where going to accomplish? Success simply because you beat a time? Foolish child; there is no success if you injure your self in the process. Injury equates to weakness and weakness is death- you are going in to a war, your enemy will stop at nothing to kill you after every mission!"

"I was fine! It's better to injure myself here and now then make the mistakes the first time in the field of battle! It was you who told me this when we started training!" Ayame countered and Rina stepped forward. "You may have talents that all my other students do not, and you may be a relation of blood, but do not believe that you can disobey what I tell you. I told you to stop."

"Rina-Sama, you may be my aunt, but do not believe that I am of the mindset of a child. I have endured your brutal training from day one, and I have also proven myself to you many times though these very means. What has changed, because it certainly hasn't been me." Ayame pulled herself out of the water, "Perhaps your having second thoughts about my position in the war because of our blood relation?"

Rina's elegant features lost all the anger within them, and Ayame didn't wait for an answer. She walked out of the training, and that night out of her aunts life all together.

By the time the memory subsided Ayame was able to see the other side of the river. Her arms felt like rubber and her fingers where numb from the intense cold from the rushing northern waters. She made her first attempt to get to shore and found the dirt crumbling under her hands. Panic started to set in a new as she clawed at the bank trying to find a hand hold or at least a shallow point where she could stand or crawl. Each attempt she failed, and got washed further and further away from her target goal. She HAD to follow the trail of the hum-vi, they couldn't be left alone.

Ayame Spied a grouping of root's on the side of the embankment and in one last surge of energy she kicked forward and threw herself towards it. It crumbled under her hand just like the rest, sending her rolling down river uncontrollably. As she was plunged under the cold water she struggled to re-surface and in doing so cracked her head against something hard, saw white and then nothing at all.

Oh My God! This was such an intense chapter! Even I got woozy thinking about Ayame in the river! I am sorry for the cliffhanger, but You know how these things go ._.;;

Any who, please tell me your how I am doing. Is this story good, bad, ugly, . All of the above : P If you have an opinion or an issue to share with me please review- I try to get back to all reviewers -yes even the non-logged in ones (and anonymous') If You don't get a message in your in-box here on Fan-fiction dot net, then you will get your responses here- in the authors notes along with your user name.

See you next time! Ja Matte! (I less then three you all!)