Chapter 8
Story by: Cessy Angel
"Why does it feel so cold sometimes?"
"Because... when you've given up hope, it's like you've given away your life, your blood. You didn't give up did you? I'm never gonna give up, because someday, I'll return to the place I belong to."
"Yushiro...?"
"Heh... nothing."
"..."
"Pff, that fool. If he continues like that, he's going to get himself killed..." Kimweri looked out of the window of Kanryu's new base, which was more like four houses, all stuck together. He wondered how the man worked before he got there. "Wonder wonder..."
His index finger played on his chin a bit when the door behind him burst open. Kimweri's eyes lazily turned towards the bleeding samurai that entered the room. His blood gushing over the floor while he clutched his side and did his best to stand.
"Sir, Shinomori is out of control! He's already taken out half of our troops!"
Slowly, Kimweri turned towards the samurai and leaned against the wall beside the window. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and sighed in annoyance. "What do you want me to do about it?"
"Demo...!"
"Iie. When Kanryu isn't here, I'm in charge. What I say goes. And I say that you continue fighting Shinomori, no matter what the cost."
"Sir!" The samurai coughed out blood as he struggled out of the door.
"Indeed, I want to know how Kanryu worked before I came into the picture." He smiled as he saw the bleeding samurai topple down the stairs, where, for obvious reasons, he would die.
The scream from outside took his attention of the stairs and back towards the street. Still fighting, Aoshi was making his way towards the base in incredible speed.
"Now... to go see the young a beautiful hostage... I do not know what Kanryu planned to do with her, and I personally don't care. Yet I've got my own plans. Then again, I've got my own plans for Kanryu as well."
The last samurai fell to the ground in a mass of ground, Aoshi whipped his blood-stained kodachi to his right and the other to his left. He began walking, almost running towards the base, praying that he wasn't late, while something began to take over his mind, something that his brother had told him before he left for Tokyo.
"If you hide your emotions, you wont know when you are loved. But in reality, everyone is loved by someone. No one in this world is alive without being loved. If you do not know when you are loved by someone, or if you deny the fact, the one who loves you will suffer more than you think. Maybe by herself, or by someone who has lost the meaning of love."
"Brother..."
Aoshi's frame burst into the door as it flung open.
Even in her corrupted condition, Misao couldn't stop smiling. Hanging by the shackles, she rocked back and forth against the wall, her eyes closed and kept repeating,
"Aoshi-sama is here, here's going to save me, Aoshi-sama... is going to... save me..."
Although in harsh conditions, nothing could make the young ninja change her mind. Aoshi would save her, as she had dreamed of ever since she formed a liking towards him. He will save me, and then, and maybe then, will I tell him I love him, instead of trying to show it to him, it will be the time. And at that moment, his mask will break, and his love for me will exist, no, it was already existing, but a mere mask was in his way.
The door from upstairs opened, and something heavy was thrown down the stairs. Misao's body stopped moving, and only a faint sound of breath came to the ears. Yet, somehow, she knew, at that moment, that someone else was with her. But...
... She wasn't sure if it was going to live. Whatever, whoever it was.
Author's Notes: Gomen, I said I'd write longer chapters, but I didn't know how to continue it! Hm, Misao sounds insane, ne? Well, anyways, I'm getting close to the 'confrontation', just take a wild guess. I made Aoshi's brother kinda like the weird poet of the story, don't ask me why. I better stop rambling and start on the next chapter. Please review!