Miko no Chikyuu, Gejo no Nihon
An: Hello! Merry Christmas to all those out there that celebrate it! And hope everyone has a great New Year also! ^.-
*~~~~~~~*
Kiray was in the fields preparing to thread the wheat, when she looked up in the sky.
"Hey Usagi-chan! Looks like a storm's headed our way!" Kiray hollered pointing at the invading gray clouds.
"Your always so loud, and besides I already saw them! It's nothing new! And don't call me CHAN!" Usagi bitterly finished ready to hit her rude friend.
"Man so emotional! Just because someone dumped their workload on us don't go and blame me for it!" Kiray said dropping her scythe to wipe her sweaty forehead. She thanked the gods that rain was coming to cool her off.
"Listen what'd you say we go and get something to drink from the well cause I'm dying of thirst!" Usagi yelled dropping her scythe as well.
"Knew you'd see my way!" Kiray yelled running to catch up with her. This was the only pleasure their master allowed them, to drink whenever they needed, even if it was a small luxury they were pleased to have it.
They knelt before the well to bring the bucket up to drink from, when Kiray spotted Warugaki smiling.
"And just what is so amusing Warugaki?" Kiray shouted out with her voice full of hatred.
"Nothing really." Warugaki turned her head away from them when she smirked. "I think it would be smart of you two to get out of here as soon as possible. But that's just my advice." Warugaki then smiled and walked off, leaving the two behind totally bewildered.
Usagi lifted her head up away from the cold water to stare at the bitter Warugaki. "What was that all about Kiray?" But Kiray, unfortunately, was as clueless as Usagi.
"It's probably just some cheap comment to make us afraid of her or something. Let's just ignore her!" Kiray then took her share of the water and then the two, slowly, headed back to the wheat fields.
Kiray and Usagi then found themselves in front of their master's house when they heard Warugaki scream, "Here they are! Here they are!" Kiray and Usagi looked over their shoulders to see Warugaki pointing at them, yelling.
That's when the three samurai from earlier came running out of the wheat fields with their swords unsheathed. "Get them men!" The youngest man with the green eyes and strange shaped hair.
"Run Usagi!" Kiray yelled trying to bolt off with Usagi on her heels, but alas the men were to fast despite what you may have thought with that armor.
"Don't even try to struggle!" The green-eyed man shouted in Kiray's ear as he dragged her off, while Usagi was being held by another young man. (They don't know Trowa's name so I'll just call him the green eyed man for now.)
"You have no right to do this to us!" Kiray shouted while being reluctantly dragged into the house.
"Oh really? Well it just so happens you've been charged with high treason and for awhile now we have suspected someone in this town!" Kiray's captor yelled while throwing her onto the ground, next to Usagi.
"What treason?! Who charged us with that?" Usagi shouted, very stressed this sudden situation.
"We're not at liberty to say." Usagi's captor barked at them.
"The hell you are! I bet it's Warugaki isn't it!" Kiray shouted ready to fight the young men.
"I already told you we're not at liberty to say!" The young man repeated once again.
"Well whatever you heard from her I guarantee you it's all faulty. I mean what reason would we have to do such a thing?" Kiray yelled once again, with her fury ready to blow through the roof.
"Well we're here to see if it's faulty, but if it is then why did you run? And for your reason what better reason than to be freed from slavery? I mean if you were able to overthrow him you would instantly be given your freedom." The green-eyed man calmly explained to them.
Kiray just grunted and Usagi was glaring at the young men. "Well you can question us till your blue in the face but nothing we say will be able to convict us of treason!" Usagi shouted standing up only to be pushed down by the third young man that had been silent so far.
Just when Kiray was about to shout out one of her smart comments another samurai came storming through the front door, totally frantic.
"Lieutenant Trowa Barton! The rebels have come out of their hiding place! They took us by surprise so we were forced to retreat, we need more men and fast!" The young man then stared at Usagi and Kiray with frightened eyes. (I'm not exactly sure how the rank goes, but let's just say he's a lieutenant.)
"Look private, we'll be there in a moment's notice. You just need to calm down!" Trowa then sent the man off back to his troops and stared at his men before his gaze floated over to Kiray and Usagi.
"We told you it wasn't us!" Kiray said crossing her arms over her chest.
"Listen private Mitusigi watch over them while we go and fight." The man named Mitusigi saluted the man called Trowa as he and the other man ran off.
"Well this totally sucks!" Kiray said lying down on her back.
"That's an understatement." Usagi said glaring at the samurai, who wasn't paying attention. For he was staring out the little window with concern in his eyes. Usagi lightly shook Kiray's shoulder as she sat up.
"What is it?" Kiray asked extremely peeved at the samurai when she saw Usagi pointing at Mitusigi, who was totally oblivious.
Kiray then got a sly smile on her face when she jumped up and karate-chopped the samurai who collapsed moments later.
"What'd you say we get outta here?" Kiray gestured towards the door and Usagi didn't hesitate.
"I think this is the opportunity we've been waiting for!" Kiray smiled catching up to Usagi.
The two then stopped by the entrance gates, which were wide open, and Kiray looked down both sides. It was total chaos, people were running in every direction, while the town was burning down. When Kiray looked towards the forest she saw everyone running into it.
"The battle must be in the town and since everyone's evacuated into the forest we'll have to pass through the town to get our freedom." Kiray said searching for anyone that may spot them.
"Are you crazy! If we get stuck in the middle of that battle we'll be killed!" Usagi frantically shouted out.
"That's why we're going to try and go around them! If we can avoid them we'll be able to make it to freedom and finally become the vagabonds we promised we would become together!" Kiray then scanned the area once again.
"I hope you know what we're getting into!" Usagi, defeated, said with no zeal whatsoever.
"Alright now listen we'll run straight ahead for now. But don't worry about the direction, cause I'll lead us since I know this town better then you do. If we happen to get separated then we'll meet each other at the Mizuloga creek in the woods. On three we take off."
"One. Two-" Kiray made a last check for anyone. "Three!" Kiray took off at great speed, with Usagi running closely behind her.
"Hurry up or you'll fall behind!" Kiray sharply yelled as she began to take a far lead.
"You're to fast! Slow down!" Usagi yelled before Kiray turned down a corner alley. Usagi prepared to follow but then a log from a house fell in front of her blocking the path. Shock took over all her features as she realized she was now alone.
But before she could let it overcome her she looked to her left and there were samurai with bows and arrows aimed and ready to hit her. She gasped before she ran down the alley way adjacent to the one Kiray had run down.
When she was halfway down the alley she noticed it forked into two different directions, and only one would lead her to Kiray. But she had no time to think for the samurai were closing in on her so without thinking she went down the one leading right.
After she exited the alley she saw several civilian's bodies strewn through the road. Since she no longer heard the samurai she thought to fall down but she knew in her mind that they would eventually catch up with her so she ran down the street and curved down several familiar alleyways.
Finally after what seemed like hours of running she arrived on the outskirts of the town.
'Where's Kiray? Well if she's not here she must be waiting for me down by the creek.' Usagi reasoned in her mind as she ran off for Mizuloga creek, but when she arrived there no one was present.
Usagi looked all around so as to make sure no one else was there, so she finally called out, "Kiray! I'm here!" She started to walk up the creek not caring where it led. "Come on out! This isn't funny Kiray!" But still she was only answered with silence.
So then she sat down in total silence, watching the burning town and looking out for Kiray. But she never emerged.
Finally, as the fired started to die out from the now falling rain and the screams began to cease she decided to go in the town to search for her. The sun was setting in the west and she dared not even think of what could have become of Kiray.
As she entered the town she went slow being as silent as possible, so as to not get caught, she noticed the town was totally evacuated. The only people in the town now were dead men, woman and even a few little children that refused to leave their parents side.
She continuously searched through the night but to no avail. She was about to give up when she saw slightly scorched purple hair poking out of a corner in a back-alley.
Cautiously she approached the hair, not willing to believe who it was. When she saw the body she immediately screamed. Her knees became weak and she fell on her knees. The body was crushed by a log of burning wood. But that was not what had killed her, for Usagi then spotted an arrow poking out of her back.
Usagi's eyes then began to water, and no matter how much she tried to fight them back they came all the same. But because of the rain you could not tell if it was the rain or the tears. Usagi then reached out to touch Kiray when she heard several men coming her way.
Usagi weakly pulled herself off her knees and stood up soaking wet. She then looked at Kiray one last time and turned around to run. She slipped in the mud but immediately pulled herself up and began to run off again, as her tears mixed in with the rain.
Several samurai then rounded a corner and saw her running off. "Stop!" One of them yelled but Usagi ignored their calls and continued to run faster than ever before. But they followed her all the way. Usagi finally reached the forest and disappeared behind all the bushes and trees.
The samurai entered the forest but when they did they found no trace of her.
"Where the hell'd she go?" One of the samurai asked. They searched for several minutes before finally giving up and heading back for the town.
Little did they know Usagi was hidden up in one of the trees totally concealed by it's leaves and branches. She curled herself into a tiny ball and cried so much it took her breath away.
/I could not believe it, I refused to believe it! My friend and companion for many years was dead! How could I accept it?! Her life was robbed away from her at only the age of 12. And me being all alone in the world at the age of 9! Our time together was cut drastically short. I wish we had never gone through that town, that we had just followed everyone else. But then I realize that I cannot change the past, and I think that's the most difficult thing of all to accept./
TBC…………….
An: Sorry but I couldn't fit Hotaru in this chapter but don't worry she'll be in the next one. But wasn't this chapter sad! I told you that the next will be sad. I'm trying to hold back language so it doesn't have to be moved up to the R rating. Well anyway if you wanna see what happens to Usagi next and what Hotaru now must go through review please. Bye! ^.-