Chapter 9~ The Reunion

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Ayane felt a strange urge to wake from her sleep again that night. An aura of kindness surrounded her when she turned to Hayabusa, though when she looked away, she felt a disturb and unsettled. She decided to drop the feeling and fall into her dream filled sleep again.

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She awoke a few hours later, to find dawn upon her gaze. She looked to see Hayabusa gone from her side. She wrapped the white cloth sheets around her figure, and stood up from the bed, looking around for him. She didn't see him insight outside, so she turned to find her garb. She held the sheets to her bust tightly, as she looked around frantically for the clothing. She stopped in her tracks when she heard a cracking sound, she smiled in relief. She turned around to see...

Hayate?!

She widened her eyes at the red garbed shinobi before her. He covered half of his face with a black mask, so she couldn't see his expressions. Other than his eyes, which were narrowed- that confused her even more.

"H-- Hayate...?" Were the only words to slip from her mouth, as she eyed the shinobi with mixed feelings of anger, betrayal, and love.

"Ayane?" He spoke in a tone lower than normal, as he took a step closer to her. "Where is Ryu?"

"I- I don't know..." She was too confused by the whole situation to think...

Wait a minute... Where the hell is Ryu?!

"Hayate... Why are you here..." She shook a bit. "What is wrong...?"

"He was supposed to meet me here..." He looked at the ground. "Ayane, why are you here? Ryu told me you had left after your wounds recovered..."

He gazed to her body, raising a brow at the sheets she had on. Her curved figure was revealed to an extent he had never seen. His eyes narrowed more, though he blushed past his mask.

"I... ehm..." She was at a loss for words and shrugged lightly.

"Well I... That isn't important at the moment..." He looked away from her petite form. "When did you last see Ryu?"

"Last night. He didn't mention that you were meeting him here. I have no idea where he is. I have to find him... After what happened with Kasumi... I..."

"What happened with Kasumi, Ayane?!" He demanded.

"Last night a clone of Kasumi attacked me, Hayate. Isn't that why he wanted to meet you?" Ayane raised a brow at him.

"No... It isn't." He began to pace slowly. "That changes everything; I have to find him."

"No... I have to find him. I will help." She looked at him, seriously enough to get his attention. He stopped pacing, and turned towards her.

"It's not safe Ay--"

"No. I have to find him, Hayate." She interupted the older shinobi, for the first time in her life.

Hayate looked into her eyes- he saw something that he had never seen in Ayane's eyes. She seemed like a mature and responsible... Woman.

He couldn't abject.

"All right. Put some clothes on and come with me." He said firmly, exiting the cabin.

Ayane quickly slid into her clothes and ventured off to meet Hayate outside.

Hayate stood, frowning at her. She just looked at him, smiling lightly as she always did when she saw him. She didn't know what his problem was.

"We will meet at the forest of Mugen-Tenshin first. And I will gather the ninja to search for Ryu with us."

"Hayate-sama, how do I get to the forest from here? I have no clue where I am..."

"Can you summon the wind spirits to guide you, Ayane?"

"I am from the Hajinmon faction of Mugen-Tenshin. They did not teach me those ways..."

"Hai... The Hajimon shinobis only teach dark ways..." He started, "Mugen-Tenshin teaches you to call on the spirits to guide you and make you disappear. Only that could be performed by a light soul. Genra was not..."

Ayane frowned at him.

"My father was a good man! He taught people both the ways of the light and the dark. What happened to him was not his fault..."

She closed her eyes tightly, avoiding the tears that came with thoughts of her father. Hayate put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

"I know it wasn't Ayane. But some things we cannot deny. What Genra became was of his own will. No good soul would've let that happen..."

"It was not of his own will! DOATEC took him and enslaved him. It was all Fame Douglas and his company! If I had only killed his daughter that night... Nothing would've happened Hayate. Not to you, not to my father, not to anyone!"

Ayane began to shed crystalline tears. Hayate took her into his arms, trying to comfort her.

"It was all my fault, Hayate! I could have stopped them... I could've saved you and father..."

She burried her face into his arms, sobbing. He held her tightly, letting her tears run onto his garb.

"A true shinobi cannot be this weak, Ayane..." He smiled, looking down at her. "Do not cry about it. It wasn't your fault. There is no fault in this world, only blame."

She let out a few small sobs before her tears stopped at his words.

"Wait... What about Ryu? Do you think that Helena Douglas or DOATEC might have him?!"

She removed her face from his arms, and arched her head back, to look up at him.

"They might. I do not know, Ayane..." He stepped away from her. "We should be going now..."

"Hayate... You did not answer my original question..." She looked at him meekly.

"Oh, the forest..." He chuckled, "Just take my hand, I will teleport you with me."

"All right."

Ayane gave him her hand, and they swept away from the forest, leaving a trail of feathers.

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::Author's Notes::

This chapter was cheesy... I know =P Please review and I'll write the next faster. ^_^