Part 1

Mountains edge

Ayame and Rikimaru made an amusing sight as they approached Lord Godha's estate. Rikimaru; covered in dirt and with only a few shreds of his shirt remaining, and Ayame; held gently in his arms with most of her pants off. And not to mention the couple was still a little damp from their swim. The guards at the gate chuckled to themselves as they let the pair in. Some were more polite and offered their help while others got an eye full of Ayame's exposed leg. Rikimaru declined their help, having carried Ayame the entire way home, it was no ordeal for him to carry her to the healer's room.

"I'm glad we're home. For a few moments there I was a little worried." Ayame admitted. Rikimaru looked offended.

"I told you I'd be able to get you out of there. I ran the entire way with you in my arms, after all." He said, turning his nose up in the air, mimicking Ayame whenever she was upset. She smacked him on the head.

"Oh, some big tough man you are! You did end up using a whole bunch of lightfoot scrolls, didn't you?' she asked, laughing.

"You're ungrateful." He muttered. Ayame reached up and gave him a kiss, stopping him in his tracks. He enjoyed the sweet taste of her lips and deepened the kiss, but suddenly pulled away.

"We should not do that here." He said, casting a quick glance around. "I don't believe Lord Godha will approve of our relationship." All though Rikimaru was completely serious as he said this Ayame started grinning

"So its official? We have a relationship? It's official?" Ayame asked, beaming. Rikimaru nodded.

"Yes Ayame, we have a relationship." He said in a tone of voice that meant that should have been obvious. Ayame kept smiling and wriggling around in his arms until they reached the healer's room. Several young girls were tidying up the room and Hinageshi kneeled patiently at a table, carefully cutting up different herbs and separating them. She looked up and was taken aback when she saw the pair.

"I always love when you two return from missions alive, but sometimes I cannot help but wish you could do it in better condition." She chided, looking over Ayame and immediately accessed her injured hip.

"If it weren't for us your life would be boring." Ayame said innocently. Hinageshi laughed and instructed Rikimaru to set her down on one of the long tables set up in the room. It was covered with a clean white sheet which immediately stained with Ayame's blood.

"Are you injured, Rikimaru?" Hinageshi asked as she carefully removed the cloth tied around Ayame's leg.

"He can take on five ninja clans at once, of course he's not hurt." Ayame said cockily. Rikimaru gave her an evil look.

"You take a shot to the thigh and you still have a smart mouth. How does Rikimaru put up with you?" Hinageshi asked, giggling, and took some different herbs and gently rubbed them into Ayame's wound. Ayame smiled.

"I don't know how he puts up with me." She murmured, locking eyes with Rikimaru. He smiled and kneeled next to her, holding her hand as the medicines started to sting. She clenched her teeth and kept looking in his eyes, not letting out a sound.

"I don't care if we do have to keep it a secret." Ayame thought as she held on to his hand. "I love him so much I actually enjoy keeping it a secret. It is as if he is all mine and I don't have to share him with anyone else."

Ayame was about to say something when the doors to the healer's room opened and several guards rushed in, one carrying the unconscious form of Princess Kiku.

"Princess Kiku!" Ayame shouted, trying to get up from the table. The pain in her thigh and the subtly strong arms of Hinageshi both held her back. Rikimaru rushed to the Princess and took her from the guards.

"What has happened?" Rikimaru asked quickly, looking down into her pale face. Her breathing was irregular and her hair was damp with sweat. He set her down on a table next to Ayame.

"I can't see! I can't see!" Kiku wailed. The guards, five huge men that weighed around two hundred pounds each, looked like they were all about to cry as well.

"We don't know! We were watching her as she was playing by the sakura trees when she suddenly collapsed!" One said, pain stricken.

"Do not worry, it was not the fault of any of you. Go on and fetch Lord Godha." Hinageshi said reassuringly, subtly rushing the guards out of the healers room.

"Rei, take over for me while I see to Princess Kiku." She ordered a young healer girl. The girl nodded and rushed over to Ayame's side. The next few minuets went by quickly as Hinageshi began shouting out orders and all the healer girls rushed around to accommodate them. Rei rubbed various herbs and medicines into Ayame's wound until it fully closed up and faded away. When the girl finished Ayame thanked her and went over to kneel by Kiku with Rikimaru. Lord Godha came in then, looking faint. He rushed over to Kiku's still figure, demanding to know what was wrong with her. A few guards also came in who were very fond of Kiku and fussed over their Princess, asking what they could do and who they could go pummel if it would help their dear Kiku. It took Hinageshi a few minuets to get everyone to settle down.

"Calm down everyone! Kiku's going to be fine. It just so happens that she has the rare Shiba mountain disease, that's all." She said rationally, as if this really should be common knowledge. The whole group stared at her.

"Ahem, let me explain; this disease originates from Mt. Shiba itself." She said matter-of-factly. "It is said that a long time ago a demon Lord was slain by a ninja, and his demon followers, not having anywhere else to go, traveled to the lonely passes of Mt. Shiba and declared it their home. To this day the demons still protect the mountain peaks, preventing all trespassers from entering their home." She explained, looking pleased with her recreation of the myth.

"Umm...Hinageshi..." one of the guards interrupted. She held up her hand.

"Let me finish! The demons became so protective over their mountain that they created a poison from the various plants that grew on its peaks. This poison causes a deadly disease to any human that comes into contact with it. The demons use this poison to coat their weapons and mercilessly kill all who step foot on Mt. Shiba." She said, nodding her head enthusiastically, getting into her story telling.

"How do you know Princess Kiku has this disease if she has never been on that mountain?' Rikimaru asked.

"Clue number one!" she said, holding up an incredibly small dart covered in blood. "I pulled this from Kiku's neck. She has been shot with a dart covered in that poison. I also know it is this disease because the very first thing it does is cause loss of sight, which Kiku has. But there is a cure! One herb at the very summit of Mt. Shiba, which is one of the ingredients in the poison, can actually be made into an antidote that will restore her vision and completely heal her." she said happily, causing the group to let out a collective sigh.

"Rikimaru, Ayame, rest for the day and set out at nightfall." Lord Godha ordered. Ayame and Rikimaru nodded.

"You two will be back by sunrise, no problem!" Hinageshi said positively.

When nightfall came Ayame and Rikimaru were standing at the base of Mt. Shiba, staring up at its peaks. The mountain loomed over them, an ominous ki resonating from its huge figure. Dark creatures crawled along its edges, watching and protecting their home from all trespassers. Kiku's life was at stake, and with one strike from an enemy weapon Ayame and Rikimaru knew they would contract the disease and fail their mission.

"Yeah, no problem...|" Ayame muttered, rolling her eyes.

Part 2

Loss of Hope

"Why...me...why...me?" Ayame repeated to herself over and over again. She said this to herself so many times that it became her new mantra. At least it helped her to focus.

"I'll take that peak Rikimaru. You follow the path. Yeah, great idea Ayame, send him down the easy way. You're brilliant." Ayame berated herself mentally as her hands slowly pulled herself to the right. She was hanging over one of the peaks of Mt. Shiba, dangling over a few thousand foot drop that ended with jagged rocks, and she was not happy at all.

Flashback

"Well 'Maru, looks like we separate here." Ayame said as she surveyed the two possible paths they could take. There was a mountain trail that wound around all of Mt. Shiba and there was a high peak above their heads that looked easily accessible with the use of a grappling hook.

"It would be convenient if one of us were able to reach that peak, but it is dangerous. I do not believe we should risk it." Rikimaru stated, carefully studying the jagged point.

"But once you get over it the ground evens out and leads to an easy path." Ayame said, pointing up just past the peak. Rikimaru still looked uncertain.

"Don't worry, I'll take the peak. It'll be easy for me. You just take the path around." Ayame said, her voice showing that she was going to be stubborn on this one. Rikimaru didn't bother to argue with her and instead turned to face her.

"Ayame, I need you to be careful tonight. Just one hit from a demon sword and that is it." He said with dead seriousness. Ayame smiled.

"I know Rikimaru. I'll be careful." She said sincerely. He nodded, then reached inside one of the folds of his shirt and pulled out a small green leaf.

"What is it?" Ayame asked as he placed it in her palm. He gently closed her fingers around it.

"It is a resurrection leaf. Keep it close to you. If you get killed tonight, the leaf shall heal all your wounds and restore your ki to your body. It only works once, though." He said slowly. Ayame starred at the little leaf in wonder.

"Amazing." Ayame said, mesmerized by the reassuring calm the leaf seemed to resonate. "Where did you get it?" she asked.

"Hinageshi gave it to me." He said after a moment. Ayame looked up, not understanding his hesitation.

"You have one for yourself, right?" she asked.

"No," he said, but there was no regret in his voice. "There was only one. Hinageshi gave it to me because she knew I would give it to you." he said with a small smile. Ayame shook her head furiously.

"No way Rikimaru, take it for yourself." She ordered, holding the leaf out.

Before Ayame could even blink Rikimaru rushed towards her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her so close that his breath warmed her cheek.

"You do not understand, Ayame." He whispered into her ear. "Nothing else matters as long as you live."

"Rikimaru..." Ayame whispered, her voice threatening to break.

"Tonight I will cheat death, so just worry about yourself." He said, then kissed her deeply, gently exploring every taste and space in her mouth. Ayame responded, tilting her head back and enjoying every sensation. She clutched onto Rikimaru's shirt desperately, as if willing him to never leave.

But after a moment the kiss broke and Rikimaru stepped back. Ayame knew neither of them could skip out on their destiny's that night, their fated destiny's awaiting them both at the summit. Rikimaru nodded, thinking the same thoughts. He gave her one last longing look, and they went their separate ways.

Present

Ayame suddenly blushed at the memory of their last kiss and decided that hanging over a dangerous peak really wasn't all that bad if she was rewarded with moments like those. Oh, she really wished he hadn't given her that leaf. What would be the point of living through tonight if he didn't?

Ayame shook the thoughts from her head and continued to pull herself over to the right. It was just her luck that a few demons happened to be at the exact edge that her grappling hook had caught on to. She was moving her hands silently and slowly, pulling herself to the right where she could be out of their sight and have the advantage on the group. It was painfully slow work, emphasis on slow. This was not her style at all. As soon as her feet were on solid ground again she would run up this mountain and make up for the time she had wasted.

She gently placed her foot on an edge that jutted out from the rock wall and placed all her weight on it. When it held she continued to pull herself over until she was balanced completely on the edge. Gripping on to the rocks above her she slowly pulled herself up until she was finally on a level space. She ducked behind a huge rock and surveyed the group of demons. She had managed to pull herself so far over that she was at a perfect vantage point, the only problem being that each demon was facing in her direction, taking away her chances of sneaking up on them. There were three total, two with swords and one with a bow and arrows.

Ayame wisely kept her swords sheathed and instead pulled out her shurikens. She positioned three in her palm carefully, the tilted her arm back. Her arm snapped forward and the three shurikens flew out. They sailed in the air, razor sharp blades spinning. Each one struck the demon right in the neck, a vulnerable spot even to the foul creatures. The demons hissed out in pain but soon fell into deaths arms.

Ayame shuddered. She could feel death very close tonight. As a ninja, the presence of death is always felt when one kills, but tonight it was shockingly clear. Ayame thought that if she focused her eyes she could see its dark outline as it stopped over the three figures, waiting to take their tainted souls into the night.

She wasn't sure why, but for some reason she found herself bowing towards the presence. Death had spared her thus far, and while she could feel its presence she might as well show it respect. There was no sign given that her gesture was noted, and like it had appeared, the presence vanished quickly.

Ayame approached the demons cautiously. She removed each shuriken from their necks and wiped them clean on their clothes. She placed them back into the folds of her shirt and then continued on her way.

Meanwhile, Rikimaru was having a similar experience. The mountain trail he traveled on was long, winding in a spiral path all the way up the mountain. It stretched out before him, seeming endless. Not matter how far he traveled there was always another turn, always another side of the mountain to conquer. He had killed many demons thus far, each time feeling a more ominous presence appear after the final blow. Yes, he decided as Ayame did, that death was very close tonight. Whether this was an bad omen or not, Rikimaru could not discern.

"I do not want them on the mountain. They must not be on the mountain!"

Princess Kiku tossed and whispered in her sleep. Hinageshi stirred, having kept by the Princess's side all night long, had almost fallen asleep. She leaned closer to the weak child and asked her to repeat herself.

"I said I don't want them on the mountain. No. Not tonight."

Lord Godha, who sat next to Hinageshi asked his precious daughter what she meant.

"It's just, one of those nights..." she said, not being able to explain herself further. "Please be careful, Ayame." Kiku whispered, as if her words could reach the far away ninja.

Ayame sneezed. She muttered angrily, then continued her ascent up the rock wall. There were many toe holds and places to grip onto so she didn't bother with her grappling hook. As she made it to another ledge she didn't feel any kis around. She hauled herself up and stood, surveying her surroundings. She had made it pretty high up. She may have lost time before but she had a feeling she was now higher up than Rikimaru. His path was trailing around the mountain, making it easier for him to kill the demons but longer to get to the summit. Ayame's path was becoming more and more unpredictable. She didn't know how much longer her luck would hold up on this forsaken mountain.

As she studied the ledge she noticed a part of a rock wall that looked out of place. As she approached the wall she realized that it looked odd because it was the opening to a cave. Part of her desire to go in the cave was rational and figured that it would probably make a nice shortcut, another part was simply driven by curiosity. She approached the cave she felt different kis bouncing off of its surfaces. She expertly unsheathed her swords and crept along the shadows of the cave surreptitiously, not daring to let down her defenses now.

A demon appeared suddenly, no more than a few feet from her and with his back turned. Ayame quickly approached him and brought her two swords in front of his throat and pulled back. He let out a stifled cry and fell. Ayame retreated back to the shadows as two more demons rushed up to see what had happened. She attacked them head on, sinking both her swords into the abdomen of one and getting into more of a scuffle with the other. The demon put up a good fight, his sword slashing with accuracy, but Ayame's adrenaline was pumping, her senses heightened, and she avoided his blows with the grace of a master ninja. She spun and sunk her swords into his heart, ceasing its beating and sending it into the only peace she could give it; death.

It was odd, but as she continued on in the cave she could have sworn that the entity of death was rushing her along. She grit her teeth and decided not to doubt it. She hurried on her way.

Rikimaru was finishing off a demon himself that moment. As he felt the demons ki fade away he felt an ominous foreboding suddenly rise in him. There were kis stirring all around him now. The demons were catching on that something was amiss. He quickened his pace.

"Do you think they'll be back soon?" Hinageshi questioned Lord Godha. Princess Kiku had finally fallen asleep, yet the pair continued to stay by her side. Lord Godha sighed, then put a reassuring hand over Hinageshi's.

"Though it is an ill night, I have faith in them." He whispered.

Ayame was catching on now that there were demons assembling. The cave was resonating the feeling of gathering and surrounding, and Ayame only prayed that as soon as she exited the cave there would not be a demon army awaiting her. To her relief there was no one around at the cave exit, and she took advantage of the moment to shot her grappling hook so it caught onto a high edge. She held on tightly and let the device pull her up. She repeated this several times, each time pulling herself higher and higher into the night. She felt as if the very stars were just in front of her.

"How high does this mountain go?" Ayame thought dizzily, trying to clear her head as she pulled herself up to her tenth rock ledge. The air was getting thinner and it was affecting her body. She gently massaged her temples, trying to clear her head.

What happened next was so unexpected that it took Ayame's breath away.

Seven demons slammed down onto the ground in front of her, each having jumped from the thirty foot ledge above. The mountain itself seemed to shake as each one impacted on the ground, yet the demons did not even seem fazed. Their faces were twisted with the immeasurable pleasure of the hunt, their weapons brandished and held ready. It was like a sea of swords before Ayame's eyes. Even the pale light of the waning moon glistened off the metal of their swords, shining before the ninja girl.

Ayame was startled for a fraction of a second before she pulled out her own swords and charged forward with a cry. Numbers mattered little to her. She swung furiously, trying to at least push the demons back. Yet with each exchange of attacks Ayame found herself moving backwards with the demons advancing. She put her soul into the fight, her swords never flying with such deadly grace in all her life.

None of the demons fell to the slices of her swords, and suddenly they charged at her. The fighting had stopped, and it was as simple as seven angry demons now rushing towards her. Seven angry demons, seven glistening swords reflecting her own terrified image.

Ayame did what human instinct told her too. She stepped backwards.

At first one foot slipped over the rock edge. In that one second her body felt weightless, and she hung in the balance between rock and air. Her arms waved wildly, still clinging onto her swords, but was unable to balance herself. Her body leaned backwards on its own accord, and suddenly she was looking up at the very top of the mountain, the very spot she was supposed to be at.

The demons watched as her body flew over the edge. She caught only a glimpse of their smiling faces as they skirted away, now going to track down the other human trespasser.

The wind beat against Ayame as she fell. She literally sliced through the air and plummeted, though it seemed very slow to her. She was now looking upwards at the sky. She could see she was falling away from the stars, falling and falling away when she had been so very close to them. The vision taunted her.

Somewhere in the chaos and the surreal image of the sky Ayame did not notice her shirt open up. There were many folds in her shirt, both for covering her body and for storing items. One of the folds opened, and out of her shirt flew all its contents.

Her grappling hook and the resurrection leaf hung in the air above her head for a split second. She reached her hand upward, reaching for either one, but she plummeted quicker than either item and they stayed right out of her grasp. As she looked up at the twinkling stars the resurrection leaf seemed to float among them in that black velvet sky.

Black velvet...Rikimaru...

"I'm sorry." She whispered, her words caught up in the wind.

Rikimaru pulled his sword from a demon and looked over at the movement he saw in the corner of his eye. He was at an odd position on the mountain and had a clear view of one of its entire sides. He looked closely, and it took him a moment to discern the vision he was seeing.

"AYAME!!!" he screamed, his voice shattering the silence of the night.

Kiku stirred in her sleep, a frown forming on her small face. Hinageshi and Godha watched worriedly as she tossed in her futon. Her mouth opened up, silent screams forming on her lips.

Ayame smiled as she heard Rikimaru cry her name. At least he would survive. She reached her arms outward, welcoming death, and that was her last thought before...

...nothingness.


Part 3

Deal with Death


"I never knew you were so lonely."

"It seems you are as well."

"Rikimar, I..."


The images of that surreal scene played out, floating around and recreating themselves all over again. Whether it was a dream, a hope, or a vision, she could not tell, but for one reason or another she was reliving that moment. What had she meant to say? What would she have told Rikimaru if Kiku had not come in? Certainly she would not have admitted she was lonely, and most certainly she would not have admitted that she...

Ayame opened her eyes, but she didn't open her eyes, and if she could have she probably would have screamed at that moment.

Rikimaru stood silently by the mountain's edge, not having moved since Ayame's figure fell from his sight. The wind blew against him, brushing over his skin and playing with his hair. If not for this playful wind one might think that Rikimaru was made of rock as well. It did not seem as if he were even breathing.

He broke his stillness to take a step closer to the edge, the pressure from his feet causing a few rocks to break loose and plummet through the night. He watched those rocks the same way he had watched Ayame and slowly wondered what it would be like if that were his body flying through the night.

"Why have I been left to live?" he asked, not to himself, not to the night, but perhaps to the very one who brought death.

When Ayame had fallen Rikimaru had ripped his eyes away from her body just long enough to notice the hanging green in the black sky. It could only have been the resurrection leaf, Ayame's one chance at life. Fate had stripped Ayame of hope, taken from Rikimaru his one reason to live, and now he stood alone, his life meaningless.

He stared down, wishing suddenly to be apart of the black he saw at the mountains bottom. He ached so badly to feel nothing, anything instead of this pain. To descend, it would be so very simple, and fly to his dear Ayame.

As he bent his knees and prepared to jump Kiku's face entered his mind. As if the child were calling to him, he remembered how she needed him. He had to make it to the summit and return to Kiku in order to save her life, no matter how badly he wanted to end his own.

"I shall return to Kiku. But after that..." he whispered, leaving his words lingering in the air. He turned around, his sword making a deadly hissing sound as he unsheathed it. He ran off to the summit, also in search of the demons that had killed his Ayame.

Ayame's body was smashed against several jagged rocks, each one coming to a horrific point. Her body was bashed and broken, blood splattered everywhere, seemingly becoming part of the rocks themselves. Her equipment had landed all around her, some within a few feet and others far off in the distance. Ironically, her grappling hook had landed just beyond her reach. No breath came from her body, and she was in a stillness that one only had in death.

"How am I seeing this?" Ayame wondered as she gazed down at her own body. She took in with morbid fascination the gruesome details; so many broken bones, so much blood, and most terrifying was the way all her limbs seemed to be positioned the wrong way. She looked away, not being able to stand the sight any more, and finally looked around her.

She was closer to the stars again. As she looked up at the night sky she felt as if she could touch them this time. She reached her arms up, but then stopped in fascination and gazed at her hand. She could see her hand, see herself, but her flesh was no longer made of actual substance. It was as if she knew she was there, but she wasn't there.
"I never knew you were so lonely."

"It seems you are as well."

"Rikimaru, I...
"

The memories returned to her, and suddenly she realized what they had in common.

"My ki! The form I am in is that of pure ki!" she thought, or at least, her ki thought.

As she looked down once again at her body she realized that she had in fact died and her ki was now separated from her body, floating up in the night sky beside the mountain. Although her realizing that she was dead was not a brilliant conclusion, especially seeing as how she had been watching her body for a few minuets now, it was still a shock to her. It was as if she had just woken up from a horrible dream only to realize that the dream was the only thing to wake up to.

She felt exactly as she had when Rikimaru had merged kis with her. It was an odd feeling, but a nice one none the less. Her spiritual form moved closer to her body, but then she realized that she might as well take advantage of being free like this. She flew up into the night sky and watched as the stars got closer and closer until she felt as if she were one of them. Maybe Rikimaru was down there somewhere, and maybe he could see her now, shining with the stars. She looked around her, not seeing her body, the mountain, or the lost chances she had left behind. Suddenly everything surrounding her was dark and comforting, and the stars were sparkling around her, as if giving her their support. That black velvet that had taunted her was gone, and in that moment she was at peace.

"I am glad you have calmed yourself." A voice spoke, and Ayame realized she was not alone.

"Please Kiku, lay back down." Hinageshi said calmly, holding the girl back on her futon. The tiny girl pushed back with the full force of her tiny body, and it took the combined efforts of Godha and Hinageshi to calm her. Kiku suddenly collapsed against her futon, panting heavily, and fell back into a tortured sleep. Hinageshi and Lord Godha exchanged glances.

"They must come back soon." Hinageshi whispered, and for the first time she truly felt afraid that they would not make it back alive.

"Who are you?" Ayame asked wondrously, staring in the direction from which the voice came. At first all she saw was a silhouette, and then she made out a figure that was darker than even the night sky. It was a calm, ever darkening black, that for some reason made the pain Ayame still felt deep within her fade. She moved closer to the figure, oddly feeling as if it were an old friend she were meeting again.

"Yes, we've met many times, Ayame." The voice spoke again. The voice was deep and smooth, a tapestry of emotions. Ayame was drawn towards the rhapsody like sound.

"You are the one that brings death." Ayame stated slowly, her own words sounding very far away, for she only wished to hear more of the dark figure's voice.

"Yes. You bowed to me on the mountain, Ayame. Thank you. Most other people fear me." The voice spoke again. The black figure suddenly separated, and in a way flew around Ayame's spiritual form. Every place that the darkness touched an unfathomable pleasure coursed through her.

"This is the peace of death, Ayame. But, you are not ready for it yet." The voice said, a deep sadness resounding through its words.

"Yes, I know." Ayame said, sadness also hanging in her words. As wonderful as this peace was, she still ached for Rikimaru. Her ki began to fade as she was swept up in her sadness.

"Do not mourn your losses. I'll return you to him, if you like. But there may be reprisal." The voice warned, and Ayame did not doubt the seriousness of its words.

"Can you do that?" she asked, not daring to hope.

"The universe is a balance, dear Ayame. You left the world unbalanced with your death. If I let you live you must destroy the evil that opposes your clan and restore this balance. If you cannot do this than I will have to take you back." The voice spoke.

"Anything. I'll do anything." Ayame whispered.

Rikimaru's sword slashed, deeply piercing demon flesh. Six demons lay around him, either deathly still or on the ground convulsing in their last moments of life. Only one demon stood, the same tall and feral demon that had caused Ayame to plummet over the cliff. In two smooth movements Rikimaru caused the sword to fly from the demons hand and sliced its arm. The demon clutched at its wound and fell to one knee. Rikimaru approached it slowly, grabbing it by its head and hauled it up. He plunged his sword straight through its stomach, looking in its face as he did so.

"This is for Ayame." He hissed, rather enjoying the look on the demons face. He let go of its head and let it collapse, its blood slowly crawling along the ground. Rikimaru did not even seem fazed by the fight and he continued to run, pushing himself faster and faster until the mountain seemed to speed right past him. Only in that fast paced realm where he was simply an object flying through its surroundings did he momentarily forget the pain that tore at him.

He plunged into a cave and watched the gray rocks swirl around him as he ran. In only a moment he flew from the caves exit and stopped himself just within inches of a rock ledge. He had to throw all his weight backwards so he would not fall over. As he glanced up from the edge he spotted a huge rock fixture jutting out from the mountains side. At the very end of the fixture there was a small cluster of plants that seemed to cling to one another for support.

Rikimaru slowly walked up the fixture and pulled the plants up from the ground. Their roots gave as much resistance as they could, as if the tiny plants were grasping onto their one and only home. Rikimaru pulled them up none the less and examined them closely. It was a group of small purple flowers with many green leaves sticking out from their stems. The leaves were oddly shaped and they had a way of tangling among themselves. He tucked them into his shirt, suddenly uncaring of the herb, and headed back towards the mountain path. He felt tired, and all he wanted now was to give this plant to Kiku and end his responsibilities to this world.

"Look at me, Ayame." The voice urged, and Ayame happily watched as the figure took a more tangible form. A face seemed to emanate, though still changing in shape, the eyes were now defined. The figure's eyes were indigo pools, traced with sadness and hope for all beings. They were the eyes that saw the birth of every star and saw the end to every life, but watched on as balance continued, with its own darkness keeping light shining from moment to moment.

"You...you are a boy?" Ayame asked in wonder as she saw the face take shape. Its body was still a black that was darker than the sky, but it's skin glowed with an unearthly radiance. Its features were smooth, the contours of its face forming the most beautiful site Ayame had ever seen. She was still most captivated by the indigo depths that watched her steadily.

"I am but a spiritual entity as you are now. You are not a woman now, but you are a woman. I am not a boy, but I am a boy. I am death, and I bring death to living creatures. I am many things." he said, and Ayame suddenly began to fathom the immensity of just who she was speaking too.

"When I return someday, will it be like this?" she asked.

"As long as your ki is never stolen from your body, yes, it shall be like this." The figure responded, and Ayame felt a new hope rise in her.

"I'll do everything I can when I return." Ayame promised. The boy watched her for a moment.

"You must also speak to Rikimaru." He said, and Ayame already understood what he meant.

"Yes, I understand." She said. The boy moved closer to her.

"Close your eyes, Ayame."

Ayame did as she was told and no longer saw the boy, the stars, or the night. It felt as if she were falling, and she knew that the stars had moved away from her again. When the boy told her to open her eyes she saw that they were hanging above her body again, and everything looked the same as when she had left it.

"Thank you." she whispered. The boy nodded.

"You're welcome. And when you return tell Rikimaru that no one cheats death, and I find that to be offensive." The boy said, and slowly it seemed as if he let go of Ayame's spirit.

Ayame felt as if she were being ripped from the comforting presence of the boy as her ki slammed back into her body. She shot up, coughing and sputtering. She rolled over on her side and wrapped her arms around her body, shaking uncontrollably. The transition was too much for her. After a few minuets she was able to calm herself, but she felt tenuous at best.

She flopped onto her back and starred up at the night sky, not even feeling a trace of the presence. His voice still lingered in her ears, each word playing like a song. It was odd, but it was a memory she would treasure. She had been among those stars, if just for a moment, and it had been peaceful.

She sat up and looked at herself. Her clothes were completely soaked through with blood. Her ponytail was a matted mess that hung heavily against her head. When she moved she could hear a squishing noise from her clothes because there was so much of the crimson liquid.

"This is disgusting, even for me." Ayame said with a grimace. She sat up slowly, moving her limbs cautiously, readjusting to the feel.

She suddenly reached up into her hair and felt around. She pulled and pushed at the knots, working at the ribbon that held her hair until it gave way. From deep within the mass of her hair fell the cherry wood comb. Ayame held it up and inspected it carefully, finding that no harm had come to it.

"I plunge into waterfalls, fall over cliffs, and still it takes no damage. I guess I broke its fall." Ayame said wondrously, staring in amazement at the little comb.

Ayame then scanned the area and only saw a few items she had been carrying with her. Her swords were no where to be seen, and as much as Ayame treasured the weapons she knew Lord Godha would gladly give her new ones. She only bothered to pick up her grappling hook and started walking, not exactly sure which way to go. After a few feet she decided she had better head up, and for the next few minuets Ayame used her grappling hook to pull herself higher and higher up the mountains side. She finally got to an area that lead to the main path and she quickly got on it, deciding she might as well just walk around until she found Rikimaru.

Rikimaru moved automatically, all his thoughts now concentrated on just getting home. He felt no emotion, and didn't even care about the herbs he carried. All he wanted now was that insurmountable peace that he would attain on this mountain. He walked along the mountain path quickly, still ready for any demon attack. It was funny, for he suddenly felt Ayame's ki in the distance. The stars were playing with him that night. He could swear that her ki was shining just ahead on the mountain path, heading towards him, ready to greet him with open arms. He grimaced, trying to shake the illusion from his head, and continued forward.

Ayame quickened to a run as she felt Rikimaru's. She turned a corner on the mountain path and suddenly he came into view. His moving figure was tense and rigid, and he did not seem at all like the Rikimaru she had kissed that sweet night behind the waterfall. He was emotionless and blank, and felt utterly foreign to her.

She shook her head and ran up to him none the less, calling out his name over and over. He stopped in mid step as he first took sight of her. Finally emotion came into his face; utter shock, and he watched her in disbelief. Ayame ran up to him and encircled his waist with her arms, holing onto him tightly. He did not embrace her back.

"Rikimaru, it's okay, I'm alive. I'm alive Rikimaru, it's all right." She repeated over and over, trying to elicit a response from him. She looked up into his eyes, his black velvet eyes, and suddenly she saw a light return to them.

"Ayame," he whispered, his voice thick and heavy. He wrapped his arms around her and they held each other tightly, as if this way they would never be separated again. For the first time Ayame could ever remember, she quietly started to cry. At first it was just a few sniffles, but soon hot tears trailed down her cheeks, one after the other. She buried her head against Rikimaru's neck, her tears tickling his skin. The same happy tears also swam in Rikimaru's eyes, though he closed them tightly in attempt to keep them from falling, one escaped and trickled down his cheek.

Ayame pulled back and tilted her head up. Rikimaru brought his lips down and met hers. Both Ayame's sweet taste and her bitter tears intermingled in with the kiss, making a perfect balance. Rikimaru kissed away the remnants of her tears, then deepened the kiss and gently explored the crevices beyond her lips. Ayame slowly pulled away from the kiss and looked lovingly into Rikimaru's eyes.

"Rikimaru, I...|"

"Shh Ayame, I know."

The sun slowly rose over the side of Mt. Shiba. It shone down on the interlocked figures of Ayame and Rikimaru, tracing their outlines with sunlight. They made for a rather heavenly sight. As they walked away from the mountain Ayame gently held onto Rikimaru with one hand, and in the other she gently clutched the cherry wood comb.



Author's note: Finally, the end to a very long chapter! Did you all think I would really kill Ayame off? Please! Oh, and if there are any anime fans here, specifically Gundam Wing fans, you'll have noticed that I modeled death after Duo Maxwell (I just love him so). Bonus karma to you if you picked up on that one! Chapter seven will be up very soon so keep checking back. Oh, and a shout out to the cool chick who e-mailed me (you know who you are) and was the reason I sat down and finished this chapter all in one night! ^_~


Oh, and thank you very much to Firegirl for the suggestion about the lightfoot scrolls. Those things are really fun to use in the game ( Thanks again both to her and Chibi-shadowdragon and jam (and thanx for coming back and reviewing again jam!) who keep cheering me on. Did I mention terrire and Jun, and oh Godzilla! Thank you thank you kisses. Oh and your welcome Chibi- shadowdragon for destroying your boredom. Don't worry, I understand, I have to destroy my boredom by writing, so I guess we all win in this case ^_~