*Continuing the story, that was so well awaited*

~Carnelian Jade

~~~~

The strong and yearning

Will prevail

But sacrifices must be announced

For love is strong and brave

But is it a shimmer or worth

To have in a cost

Of a friend's life.

~~~

The wind carefully settled Misao's single ebony braid in the swirling gust of ivory wind that seemed restless and blew in their will. Misao carried a slicing weapon of the purest steal as it gleamed with two thick, emeralds, and three tiny crimson rubies that were embroiled beautifully in her sword.

She carefully put the small blade in her mouth as she carried and began to clutch two baskets that were bristled harshly in dry hay and rough fiber, but strangely in the bottom of the basket or base for the items that should be held were of soft silk that was weaved skillfully in a pattern. In there were two bottles, it was formed in fragile, glimmering crystal and in there held spring water. One sip of this magical water would quench your throat for a day even if you were roaming in a desert.

But two were carried since it was not proper to sip with a different mouth and another mouth if not related or married. So the two bottles were laid in luscious silk that was settled perfectly for such a fragile, and frail thing.

But still it seemed Misao had wanted to be armed, with such a whipping blade. Kaoru would even say that if the blade whipped across thick, bold rocks it would slice through without a blemish.

"Let us go." Misao replied with a stern voice of determination, her jade eyes were fixed in the large broad hills of sprouting, flourishing lime, into of what was called the "meadows.."

~~~

Sweat oozed slickly, sliding down Kaoru's face, two plump beads of sweat glinted in the scorching sun as it penetrated with burning heat. But Kaoru still held the other basket that was empty for the small flowers to carry. The thin, dry threads soon were glued in her palm and grubby grip that they had weaved together and made a crimson mark on her drabbed, squishy flesh.

Her eyes were set in a thin, peering squint as she saw continuous bumpy lime that drew up and down, and was beginning to irritate and play tricks in her mind. She had seen a vivid foolish illusion of a large reddish-brown jar that was rimmed in tiny diamond and dark blue rubies, and two rippling waves of water sloshed, dripping slowly on the clayed surface.

Kaoru rimmed her tongue that was crispy gray and looked more closely. It was there as the water she was yearning for dripped in a tempting style of luring.

"Water." Kaoru growled in a raspy voice. Misao seemed to know immediately that Kaoru was now in the process of Hallucinating and immediately announced her calm, steady voice that ringed in the queasiness of barren. She settled her crystal vial and touched it softly to estimate the temperature of the liquid. It was still icy fresh.....

"Look here, take it, you are in need." Misao replied as she offered it to Karou that had made an exasperated sigh and capturing herself before she fell. "No, there is a whole jar of WATER!!" Kaoru explained as she turned to Misao beginning to snarl and crouch by her. Misao took her blade from its sheath as it slithered smoothly by.

She whipped it out banged the thick substance of metallic on Kaoru's head. (The side of the blade, of course) Immediately Kaoru woke from her raging wrath of water. As Kaoru's lips were slightly ajar from her confusion Misao slipped it in her mouth and Kaoru had no chance but gulped.

There was nothing more but Kaoru's stick legs walking and Misao's, the lime continuously going on.

~~~

Kaoru wiped her forehead and liquid flew off in big drips that spewed in the continuous meadow. Misao finally said the words she had longed to hear for such an awaited time. "We are here, in the Serene Forest, remember my warning...."

Nothing happened really but Misao had picked lovely delicacies and they had sweet, tangy fragrance. One was of a misty gray swirled richly in sable and had tiny black beads mounted upon each other. Pepper. It was pepper and Kaoru drew one curious sniff and sneezed six times as her nose turned pink- tip and her nasal congested.

Misao knew exactly what to do and showed her a thick solid gold flower but this one was not heavy at all. Tiny gold flints were sprinkled all over and they had reminded her of flickering fireflies but these were not alive.

Misao drew a whole handful and gathered them in her hand. Then she took her water vial and mixed some in the gold specks. It suddenly transformed in a honey liquid and felt milky, sweet, and silky.

Misao rubbed the honey liquid on the center of her nasal area, between the eyebrows, and rubbed tenderly for two minutes and Karou was free of congestion. Kaoru was amazed, and she would of thought she would have got used of it by now, from all the things she had discovered.

Then the sun was slowly submerging in the clouds and was rimmed in dazzling gold. Slowly it was mildly dark but still there was a gentle light rousing in the day. As Misao was walking uphill Kaoru heard a tiny voice call her.

There was a yellow glitter in the deep part of the woods and sounded like her mother was calling out her name as the glowing figure seemed to call forth to her to come. She left Misao as she walked closer, peering, squinting more closely. Kaaaooorrruuu, kkaaaoooorrruuuu.

She went closer and slowly started forming gentle frightful words from her lips as her lapis eyes gleamed in the sparks and glitter of light from the leaving sun. "Mother, is that you?" Then the figure revealed itself in shyness but she kept her lapis eyes fixed on it as she heard her yearning name.

Then she saw a black flash in the corner of her eye and she found out she was in the middle of the forest. Misao was nowhere in sight. She shook it off gruffly and again walked deeper.

It was just a scatter of glowing fireflies and the wind had played a cruel trick. But then another quick sable flashed occurred. Her lapis eyes now glinted in fear and she soon grew petrified. "Misao, are you there?" There was a queasy echo of her own.

Slowly Kaoru staggered back and she stepped on a branch. It made a long, cracking snap. She looked up and a black, gleaming jaguar had its teeth ajar, rippling in shine as its claws made a sharp squeak.

It pounced on her and its body was laid on her fragile, frail body and her slender bones throbbed. It made a ferocious growl and made a flesh-ripping scratch on her left cheek that showed four long scratches that began to seep in blood. She made a startled cry and tears burned and stung her eyes. It had black beady eyes that glowed of a twist of wickedness. Then she heard a battling cry from Misao. Her blade ripped in the air and the jaguar leapt the other side.

Her eyes were of a flickering crispy pine and her head was an angry crimson as her blade was tucked in her grip. The jaguar leapt close to her and clawed the empty air.

Misao ringed out her sword and a red rip sliced through his thick coat. He growled under his breath and roared in the air and ripped smoothly through Misao's shoulder blade. Blood gushed out of her as Misao held the wound with her left hand and the blade in the right.

Tears slowly welled but she kept her spirit strong as her dark pupils hawked his gleaming, rippling fur. She looked at it fiercely as she formed a sneer. It gray lips curled in fury as its pointy fangs scintillated.

Misao's face was in a deadly pale and more blood gushed through her shoulder blade. She felt light-headed but kept fighting though her vision began to slightly blur.

Kaoru drew a breath and stood up straightly as she grunted to have her strength. Tears spewed and burned the rim of her cerise eyelids. The jaguar leapt again and went to Kaoru this time and made a gray scar on her upper cheek, right under her right eye symbolizing a tear.

Kaoru formed a repeated cry of suffering, moist pain. "Kaoru!!!" Misao wailed as she struggled to regain her balance. The tears burned like a dancing flame but more came.

All her memories of her village, mother, father, the girls, and when she looked at Battosai, this all flashed in her mind. The bitter memories that remained in her precious mind. It was her time to go and leave, goodbye to the world and all.

She slowly began to fall, fall, fall deep into a gloomy darkness that was eternal, swirling in the darkness of all as her eyes were in one thin slit of vision and two diamond tears flew in the air as her lazuli eyes made one last sparkle.

Slowly she fell in the strands of emerald, but she said one dear last word of her scarce breath.

"Acceptance."

She fell in the grass as Misao scrambled to her side, the blood still streaming thickly in flow. "Kaorrruuu!!" She shrieked as she shook her gently but desperate. Kaoru's eyelids were laid still. "Kkkaaaooorrruuu!! DON'T LEAVE ME!! KAAAOOORRRUUU!!!!"

The jaguar leapt in the air......

Is this how fate ended this to?

~~~

Chapter end. So was this a good, drastic end? Please send me reviews in how you feel. Was this good? Please click that submit button and tell me what you think. I did this one a bit early.

Thanks to:

Elven Mischief: Thank you for your review, I hope you like it!

Nanakilover/Brukaoru: I'm sorry I ended it this way, I bet you hate it. Thanks!

magiabruxa: Thank you for your review!

And anonymous reviewer: you know who you are, thanks! Pls review!

Thanks everybody, and audience hope you pleasured this.

*sniff* poor Kaoru, I feel so terrible!

Bye Bye, everyone!