Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore! I own Sora. Crimson Foxhound owns Gray.

You must've had a broken heart,

to love me the way you do.

Must've been so torn apart,

I can see it when I look at you.

All the meaning that is in your eyes,

the love you give will never die.

And I knew right from the start,

you must've had a broken heart.

-----You Must Have Had a Broken Heart, Westlife

Epilogue: Encounter

As the first rays of dawn filtered into the dense forest canopy, a sleek creature passed through the woods stealthily. A flash of crimson was all that most lesser animals noticed. Awakened Beings, after all, could be said to be at the top of the food chain, and this one was no exception.

Sora flitted up a tree, sitting atop a particularly massive branch. This oak tree must be at least a hundred, she thought. From this vantage point, she could see far into the distance, in any direction she pleased.

She was of a size that was gigantic to a human, yet miniscule to a typical Awakened Being. She retained the body of a mature human female, though her skin was pale, and almost white. Her hair – a strange indigo – hung in a ponytail-like structure, and contrasted vastly with her white complexion. Flaps of violet skin hung from her arms and curved in an umbrella shape on her waist, giving an impression of her wearing a wide-sleeved dress. Springing from her shoulder blades were a pair of butterfly-shaped wings, ragged at the edges and sporting a complex pattern of veins, bone and muscle woven tightly together. The entire wing span was about three-quarters of her slender body, and shimmered with a mysterious violet hue, as if it were Yoki in visual form. Her body didn't have any odd protrusions, save for four arms sprouting from her back. These arms were, however, were translucent for some reason, and only a faint outline could be easily seen. Sora's hands and feet were clawed, with razor sharp blades.

Two wondrous weeks of freedom had passed uneventfully, and she had begun to lock the horrible memories away in a box labelled "TRAUMA" in her mind. Nonetheless, one could never be too cautious. Sora's sharp eyesight – surpassing even that of an eagle's – scanned her surroundings alertly. Despite being at least ten feet above the ground, she could see the squirrels finding food for their young, and identify the birds soaring in the sky. If she focused, she could observe an army of leaf-cutter ants maintaining their nest. It was virtually impossible to creep up on her while in her line of sight.

For hundreds and hundreds of miles, where the forest peeled away into a desolate wilderness, Sora found no signs of sentient life. Her golden eyes sparkled as she considered barging into a town and having a feast. Deciding that it would draw too much attention, she chose instead to traverse the wilderness. Keep moving, that was her motto – as long as she didn't stay put in one place for too long, the chances of being discovered were significantly lower. A passing caravan would do nicely for a meal, though. Her last meal was four days ago, and she'd snagged a dress while she was at it.

She leapt down the tree, resumed a human form and dressed. Then she began trekking towards the wilderness.

And hesitated when a man emerged a fair distance to her left, carrying – no, cradling – a sword of sorts.

He was too far away for her to ascertain if he was a Claymore, or an Awakened, but he certainly had a Yoki flow. She could sense the faintest trace of it from where she stood. Everything about his posture and demeanor screamed depression. If he was a Claymore, flight would be a better option. But would a warrior of the organization be so miserable? Her curiosity perked, she moved closer, scrutinizing the haggard man. Nothing about his figure suggested hostility, and when she saw his eyes – a deep, pale blue - she couldn't look away. Here was a man who had endured hardships of his own, and had emerged broken and alone.

Your life is not your own...

The Awakened Being switched tactics and headed towards him, melting swiftly into the forest.

A/N: Continued in our collaboration, Awakened Redemption II: Pride against Fidelity.