Nameless Hitokiri: Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own RK but I do own a CD of RK music if that counts for anything. OKAY I own nothing, I blame my Math and Science teacher who don't like me drawing in their classes.

A/N: I don't have any good pictures of Eiga and Souzou at the moment since my Science teacher threatened to fail me if I drew in her class "any more" despite the fact that I was showing off a math doodle NOT drawing. Therefore I have no guidelines for this chapter.

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Captain Sagara stood beneath an ancient cherry tree; he could see Eiga in the highest branches surrounded by a furious cloud of freed blossoms. A side of him said to let her do as she wanted, just to leave her there, he shoved that voice away with resentment towards it, loathing himself for that voice. He pulled himself up into the branches his hands seeking purchase as they slid against the wet bark, despite this factor he struggled on against the rain and wind, the slick surface and branches that sought to tear his flesh and keep him from his duty. He wondered, was this just a duty or was it beyond the simple bindings of his post. If he didn't care he could have just stayed in his tent when he saw her missing, he could have looked at the numerous trees and turned his back on Eiga one more time. It was during his climb into the treacherous heights of that ancient tree that he felt guilt for the way he had mistreated the hitokiri after she slapped him at the river. She had been right, he had no right to have kissed her, and she had had every right to strike out at him. It was as if that tree held a strange power over the Captain of the Sekihoutai, as if it had been enchanted years ago by some strange and ancient power.
By the time Captain Souzou Sagara struggled onto the same branch as Eiga his soul was heavy with guilt, so heavy he felt that he would cause the branch to break beneath him. He saw that Eiga had refashioned her gi, she had torn of the sleeves and made the front split at the center so that her abs and the bandages around her chest became visible. Eiga had tied a noose out of the stolen rope and stood, entangled in the heavy dragging line that was fastened at her neck, farther out on the branch. She gave a forlorn look at Sagara and said "Good-bye"

The captain, though he felt as if an equally heavy rope was hung upon his neck, leaped forward on the branch and clung to her as if she kept him from crashing to his death (which might have been the case) and spoke softly in the kind riverside voice that Eiga loved "If you jump we'll both die, I can't let that happen, I can't have you dead."

"Shut-up, you've treated me like a dog and made me wish for just this since I rewarded your affection with hatred," Eiga steadied herself, "You've degraded me with menial tasks and cast me out of a conference insulting me for being a woman and prisoner. You've alienated me from everyone in my immediate location and you expect me to fall in love with your sweet-talk?"

In response Souzou said "No, actually I expect you to push me to my death, but I'd like you to fall in love with me." He loosened the noose around her neck so it could go around his as well and entangled himself with her in the slack before he continued by saying, "If you want to die, at least let me die the same way."

Eiga scowled at first, but his adoring smile made it almost impossible not to let a smile spread across her face "If I decide not to jump, how are we going to get down from here? You were dumb enough to tangle the rope more than it was, you got any suggestions?"

Souzou looked down and replied, "I have no clue, I guess we'll have to just sit up here till someone comes around with a ladder."

"Whaat!?" Eiga shrieked.

"Just kidding, maybe we can untangle ourselves and climb down." He smiled, "But before we do that, maybe you wouldn't mind a kiss?"

"Gee, you're pathetic, you have to ask for a kiss." Eiga laughed.

"The LAST time I kissed you with out permission is what got us here in the first place." Souzou pointed out.

"Maybe you should kiss me, more often then..." And so she allowed a kiss in his warm embrace realizing that if she could be forever in his arms then forever would be to short.

A/N: I do not advise climbing into trees during floods, using a noose to symbolize undying devotion, or making out in trees. It's dangerous and you could sustain injuries, like dying. Yay I finally did a drawing for this chapter. R&R