Author's note: SORRY for delays, school and homework takes time. Thank you, thank you THANK YOU
(And same for Finnish: kiitos, kiitos, KIITOS) for your reviews, they are ALWAYS welcome!!!!!
This story (now I mean all chapters) was created with help of: 42 cups of STRONG coffee
and 2 months lack of sleep...
TRY TO ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, but if I accidentally someday will own Tenchu, you will know.
ENDING
Rikimaru took unnecessary deep breath before he leaved his new luxurious room. He was dressed in
his new clothes that Naotada Sekya had brought him a little while ago. They had argued about would
he wear these clothes or not. . . Sekya had won, he had even ordered Rikimaru to leave Izayoi
to his chamber, and Rikimaru had obeyed.
*That old man is cleverer than I ever thought. Too clever, Sekya even hid my scarf so that I
couldn't wear it anymore.*
thought Rikimaru as he walked to the garden, where the celebration was starting. To be honest
his outfit was quite stylish. He had soft, black pants and long black coat that had some silver
embroidery on the sleeves and on the collar. Clothes gave him somehow military like impression and
dignified look. They were clothes that young lord or maybe a counsel could wear.
It was beautiful night. There weren't any clouds in the sky and stars were sparkling and the moon's
light covered everything like a silvery veil. Wind blew softly like a lover's whisper. Thousands
of little lanterns illuminated the tables and benches where the Gohda clan that had gathered
together to celebrate their new ruler. Happy faces and cheerful voices greeted Rikimaru as he
went slowly down castle's stairs. It was good to see them smiling and laughing.
He tried to spot Sekya from the crowd but instead of Sekya he saw Ayame walking towards him. She was
dressed in beautiful lavender coloured kimono and was smiling. It felt still a bit weird to
see her in kimono and without her swords.
*Is it as weird to her to see me in these spiffy clothes as it is to me to see her in that outfit.*
wondered Rikimaru.
"You are looking good." she said smiling cleverly and asked. "Did Sekya choose them for you?"
"Yes. Did he choose your clothes too?" answered Rikimaru as a little smile played on his lips.
"No, but he sent a maid to take all my other clothes when I was sleeping so this was the only dress
I had on my wardrobe when I woke up." answered Ayame
Rikimaru had to laugh at the thought of Ayame searching desperately some other clothes from her
small wardrobe.
"Don't laugh or I. . ."threatened Ayame playfully smiling to his soft chuckle.
"Or you what?" asked Rikimaru smiling and took one step closer to her.
He looked into her dark brown eyes and suddenly felt great urge to kiss her. He edged his head
closer to her and pressed light kiss on her lips. Ayame threw her arms around his neck and
answered to his kiss with passion. All rational thoughts vanished from his head and he
pulled her closer deepening the tender kiss. Slowly his tongue parted her lips allowing him
to entry and explore.
*She tastes sweet* thought Rikimaru as he ran his fingers slowly across her back. Ayame
answered in his gesture by running his delicate fingers trough his silky, silvery hair, witch
send a shiver down his spine. Rikimaru broke their tender kiss as he felt that someone
tapping on his shoulder.
"I don't want to interrupt anything, but you have to keep your speech soon Rikimaru and you need
your lips for that too, so I suggest that you two save love scene for later."
said Sekya's familiar voice.
When they pulled back Rikimaru felt embarrassed as a slight blush crept on his face. They had
completely forgotten all the people around them.
"That's better. I see that you have found one future Mrs. Gohda candidate. Now whish me luck, I
am going to keep a very important speech." said Sekya to slightly dishevelled pair as he
climbed to speaker's platform.
"Can I have your attention please?" asked Sekya. When the people fell quiet he continued:
"Gohda clan, I have invited you all here to celebrate our new leader. After long thinking I and my
colleagues have finally invented perfect man for this task. Rikimaru could you climb here..."
Sekya never got the chance to finish his sentence because of a burning arrow that went straight
trough his heart. Ayame ran to Sekya's side. The arrow that killed Sekya didn't come alone.
From the sky rained thousands of burning arrows onto the Gohda Clan. Rikimaru recognized
hostile soldiers to lord Kawashima's men. Apparently lord Kawashima's clan had come to revenge
their ruler's death.
The celebration had suddenly become a blood lusty chaos. Kawashima's men were probably thought
that this would be easy fight with unarmed men. Unluckily to them Gohda clan's men weren't
so easy to kill even if they were unarmed, and besides most of them had brought weapons of some
sort to the celebration. Rikimaru weren't worried about Gohda's men; they were trained to
fight, in every possible situation, but the women and children, they couldn't protect
themselves. He gestured nine of younger ninjas closer.
"You, escort all of those who cannot fight to the bamboo forest, hide there and don't come back
before it is absolutely safe. I am counting on you. GO!" ordered Rikimaru and joined back to
the battle.
One of the swordsmen attacked Rikimaru. He couldn't know that Rikimaru had been trained in different
compact techniques from his birth or that he was equally deadly with or without weapon.
With a lightning fast three kick's combo his opponent was dead and he had a sword. It wasn't
as good as Izayoi, but it would do. Ayame had two swords already and she was like a lavender
tornado that had chosen to destroy Kawashima's men. She was fighting in easy looking
technique she had invented as a child. It surprised enemies and made it easy to Ayame
to finish them of.
Rikimaru was finishing off one of the bowmen as Ayame suddenly ran in front of him and pushed him on
the ground. Rikimaru heard rustle and then a clear thud and Ayame's groan as an arrow that
was meant for him pierced Ayame's slender body. Rikimaru was quick enough to catch her in
his arms as she fell. The arrow in her back jerked irregularly at her heart's beat.
"Rikimaru..." Ayame started and coughed blood from her mouth.
Rikimaru knew that it was a sign that she was going to die.
"Why Ayame...?" Rikimaru asked in breaking voice as tears ran uncontrollably along his face.
"Did I ever tell you how handsome you are?" Ayame asked in a weak voice. "No I don't think that I did.
Well now you know." she said coughing more blood.
"Ayame..." Rikimaru started but his voice broke again.
"Before I die I must tell you that I love you Rikima..." her eyes glazed and she gave her last sigh
and then her body went limp. She was dead.
Rikimaru fell into his knees and cradled Ayame's dead body in his lap. Her lavender kimono was now
red and soaked in her blood. He closed Ayame's empty eyes and cried.
"I loved you too." whispered Rikimaru.
Then the events irreversibleness hit him and he broke down. He cried like a man who had lost
everything good he ever had. He didn't hear or see anything around him and he didn't care.
Rikimaru didn't care about battle around him. He just cried heartbroken until there were no more
tears to shed.
"I don't want to live without you Ayame; you were the only one I ever loved." Rikimaru whispered,
placing a soft kiss on her cold lips as he pressed Ayame's body against him and grabbed the
arrow that stick out of her body with both arms.
*Please forgive me.*
One powerful thrust and the arrow would pierce his heart, finally they would be together, in each
other's embrace forever... but something stopped him. He heard a voice; it was melodious
almost like singing.
"Come Rikimaru." voice said.
Rikimaru rose up, lifted Ayame's body gently in his arms and walked to the bamboo forest, trough
intense battle. The melodic voice had somehow anesthetized his emotions he saw his friends
dying around him and he knew that he should grieve, but he didn't. He said it to the voice.
"I am sorry, but it is important that you come to me, before sun rises. You can grieve later."
voice answered.
Voice leaded him to the lake which surrounded Nalea's temple. Silvery mist was gone and the little,
white temple shined in full moon's light. He stopped to the shore.
"I can't swim over this time, not with Ayame with me and I won't leave her." said Rikimaru.
Voice woke his feelings and asked:
"Rikimaru do you have fate on me?"
*What kind of question is that?* he thought
"Don't think, just answer to me, yes or no." said the voice
"Yes." answered Rikimaru and strange, triumphal singing filled his head.
"Step to the water Rikimaru. Don't worry I will take care of you." said the voice happily.
Rikimaru obeyed and holding Ayame in his arms, he stepped into water, but to his great surprise
he didn't sink.
"I said that I would take care of you and I don't want you to wet my temple." said the voice.
And so Rikimaru walked on water's lightly waving surface to the temple.
In the temple was little black haired girl in white dress sitting on the back of huge, white tiger.
She smiled happily as Rikimaru stepped forward and jumped of tigers back and ran to the Rikimaru.
"Welcome to my temple." she said
"Are you goddess Nalea?" asked Rikimaru
"Yes."
*I thought that she would be...older perhaps or maybe bigger*
"I can be as old or as big I want, but I thought that this would be easier you to handle. I don't want
to scare you away." she said
"Can you read my mind?" asked surprised Rikimaru
"Yes, even those thoughts that you don't even know you have and that is the reason you are here. When
Ayame died you thought that you would give anything to get her back. I accepted your offer.
Are you still willing to give your anything just to get her back... even your life or your soul?"
"Yes. I am willing to sacrifice anything to get her back." answered Rikimaru.
"And you didn't even know about her little secret..." mumbled Nalea "Well lets go to work. I want you
to do exactly as you were going to do before I invited you here." said the child goddess.
Rikimaru kneeled down and hugged Ayame pressing her body against him. He grabbed the arrow like before.
He didn't see how the wooden arrow changed into silver. He took a deep breath and then with
powerful thrust he pushed it deeper with sudden forceful thrust.
Arrow wasn't long, but it was long enough. It pierced his heart, he threw his hand around Ayame's waist
and they fell on the floor together as the first rays of sunlight illuminated to the sky.
And the arrow that was made from the moonlight vanished.
"I have a perfect timing, don't I." said the little child goddess as she giggled and vanished in the air
along with arrow.
Rikimaru opened his eyes. He wasn't dead, his body ached and he felt something warm against him.
*Ayame, she lays beside me... and she is breathing!*
Rikimaru sat up. Arrow from her back has vanished, but her kimono was covered in dry blood. Nalea had
brought her back to life. Rikimaru couldn't help himself he hugged her tightly and tears ran
along his handsome face.
"You are alive." He whispered.
"And I am also awake, and as pleasant this is I would also like to breath." Ayame answered.
Rikimaru loosed his hug a bit and started pressing soft, little kisses to her neck and face.
"Maybe I should die more often." said Ayame pleasantly surprised by Rikimaru's actions.
"I love you and I will never again let you go." Rikimaru said and emphasized every word at kiss.
"I love you too Rikimaru."
The end (I think)
Author's note:It was full of old cliches, but it felt necessary at the time of writing.
If you liked it I may write a little epilogue.
Please Review!!!
