A Warrior's Path: Chapter Eleven: Moosoo no anta (Illusions of you)

((Brad POV))

"W-what?" My voice caught in my throat questioning Samantha who was already gone as Naomi began to feel heavier leaning against me, half of it being psychological. I slowly sat down and cradled her in my arms. I sat and held her, trying to process what she'd told me. 'Could you tell her she's betrothed to my brother Nathan,'? I felt Naomi stir and murmur something I couldn't hear. I looked at her, curled up in my lap. No, it can't be true…Sam…Sam has to be wrong…

Naomi stirred again, a tear slipping from her closed eyes. I brushed it away, letting my hand rest there on her cheek, and vowed I'd never let myself fall in love with anyone again.

A while later, Naomi's eyes slowly opened.

"Brad? Brad, Brad please tell me I was dreaming…." Naomi said sitting up and looking pleadingly in my eyes. My throat constricted again, and I had to look away— I couldn't bare to face her.

"I-I wasn't, was I?" she asked sitting back on her heels. I heard her inhale shakily and saw her fold her hands in her lap.

"That's not why you're upset, is it?" She asked as I forced myself to look at her.

"Sam…" I cleared my throat, trying to not show I was hurt. "Sam left one thing out….you're…you are…Nakuru is…engaged to her brother Nathan…" I got out somehow as she faltered.

"W-What?"

"Don't make me try and say it again, it was hard enough the first time." I admitted as she slammed her fist into the floor.

"This…This isn't fair!" She yelled, tears now streaming down her face. "I'm not any of her business! And it definitely wasn't any of Bit, Leena or the others! She had no fucking right to do that…She should just learn to butt the hell out…." Naomi was sobbing hard by now, something I'd never seen her do, but I couldn't do anything, just put up my defenses.

"Isn't that what you wanted? A family, a home?" I said as she shook her head.

"No! I Just wanted to be happy! And- And I was!" She yelled as I stood; I couldn't take seeing her like this. I knelt in front of her and wrapped my arms around her. I could feel her warm tears on my neck and hear her whisper.

"I'm so sorry, Brad……"

I held her tighter, "I know, I am too…"

~*~

(Third person POV, Naonao-ness hates writing through a POV too long.)

Sam walked in merrily and saw Naomi on the couch, holding Morgana.

"Hey, Nakuru!" She said as Naomi hissed feral-ly.

"Don't ever call me that."

Sam blinked, "Are you okay?"

Naomi stood crossly, Morgana jumping from her lap.

"What do you think!?" She hissed, "You ruined my life! Watashi wa nikurashíi no omae!" ((a/n: Um Lit translate in word form "I am hateful to you" *sweat drops* PLEASE!! Do NOT Copy my horrible grammar, I have most likely disgraced the Japanese language so horribly in that one sentence. -.- See final a/n at bottom for a somewhat solution, though now I dun remember what it was. ¬_¬)) She screamed as Sam backed up a little.

"Naomi, you don't understand, see you're just an Alternate Mind, you're nothing, once I reset you, you'll be Nakuru."

"I don't want to fucking be Nakuru! Don't you fucking get it!? I don't care! I am a living, thinking, entity!"

"You only think you are—"

"Bullshit! Don't even THINK to try and tell me I don't exist! I think for myself , act for myself, I can feel happy, sad, I can give love, and receive love! I AM REAL! So FUCK YOU!! You're mad! Completely mad!--"

"Nakuru, really, come with me, and I'll disable your AM—" Sam said looking worried taking her wrist.

"NO! Itte shimau! [get away]" She shrieked as she tore away from her, breaking into a run with Morgana. She ran down the hall to the hangar, not looking back.

"Naomi?!" Brad said sounding concerned, jumping down from the ShadowFox. "What's wrong?" he asked her as she grabbed his arm tightly, looking behind her, panicked.

"Brad! Please! She's going to kill me! She wants to put me to sleep! Brad, Please, please help me! Please!?" She cried as the mercenary chewed on his bottom lip for a second, looking to the door, hearing the commotion.

"Come on." he said, helping her climb into the ShadowFox.

——~

Sam ran into the hangar with Bit and Leena and Leon, who'd followed the yelling, and saw the ShadowFox running from the hangar. Sam jumped into the Snow Husky and went to chase them, Bit and Leon mobilizing as well.

"Brad!? Where are you going?!" Bit asked with concern over the Comm. Link as Brad's face along with Naomi in his lap popped up.

"Bit, please, don't follow us. I'm sorry." He said as Leon popped up, too.

"Naomi!?"

"Gomen ne, Leon-kun, Sumimasén…." She said as Bit and Leon's comm. Links went black. [I'm sorry Leon-kun, I'm sorry…]

The two warriors of the Blitz team nodded to each other. The Liger Zero sped up to block Sam.

"Samantha, stop!" He ordered as Sam stopped short to avoid colliding with the White Zoid.

"What?! She's getting away!" She yelled as the Red Blade Liger let out a low saddened growl.

"Sam….Look, I know Naomi best, besides Brad, she's just scared. Give her some time, please, just let her calm down." Leon said desolately.

"But…"

"No. I won't let you take her by force." Leon said sounding sterner than before.

"Samantha, she'll come back, just give her some time. You've dumped a whole load of crap on her, let her get used to it." Bit reasoned as Sam reluctantly nodded.

"All right." She said turning and heading back to the hangar, the two warriors following silently.

Leon watched Samantha climb down from the Snow Husky, he and Bit stood at it's feet.

"Samantha…?" Leon said as she looked over her shoulder and he noticed she was trying not to cry.

"I've been wandering around for 1300 years on my own. I finally find someone like me, and they leave. I can't do this anymore, I'm too tired…I'm not even going to try and give Naomi her real life back. I'm just trying to fight a losing battle, to bring back one of the greatest races back into existence, aren't I? Why do I even bother? Maybe I am crazy, like Naomi said…" she said walking to her room. Leon went to follow but his sister held his arm, shaking her head. He looked to Bit, noticing the blonde pilot biting on his lip, as if her were holding something back.

Sam lay on her bed with Dawson and Brontie. /Maybe I am fighting a losing battle, Might as well give up and let Cameron bask in the glory of the destruction of his own kind…/ She thought morbidly. She remembered her brother, always seeming happy, pretty shy on occasion, how he was always there for her, patient and kind…And Nakuru who was always there to talk to for girl stuff, serious or just for fun, how she never got angry if she did something wrong, always calm and happy….

She could hear her brother saying 'Does the walker choose the path, or does the path choose the walker…?' a memory of long, long ago. Her two dogs nuzzled her as she inhaled shakily, and felt the hot tears she'd been holding back, almost a century slide down her cheeks.

"Nathan, where are you? I need you…I don't want to be alone anymore…."

— * —

[end chapter eleven: A Warrior's Path. To be continued…]

Ooooh font-y. ^_^ - woot it has eyes. Hehe. Simple minded, no?

Um okay, Sorry if Sammy is OOC or bashed, but well it's a little to be expected, I mean Naomi's upset and she's the cause, somewhat-ness. Yare…..erm. I have nothing to say, shocking, no?

Disc: I own nothing, neither does Aki, save, Samantha, Nate, Naku, etc. etc.