Author's Notes: Moving right along here… Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Love

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The warm summer's night allowed a myriad of stars to show through the black ink of the sky and Ruri found herself absently staring up at them. She wasn't sure how long she'd been lounging in the hot springs that the household had as a bath, but she didn't care.

It had been months since she'd had a bath this nice, usually only able to find a cold river to clean herself of blood and dirt. Having already cleansed her hair, the blue locks were once again secured up in two buns on either side of the woman's head.

Everything was so peaceful. Everything that is aside from the small voice inside her head still nagging at her about Hari.

But before she could force it away, the screen door slid open and none other than the woman she was thinking of stood there.

"Can I…join you?" The hesitant voice asked, her ru qun hanging loosely about her shoulders.

"Hari- what are you..."

"I'll be fine. The warm water should relax my muscles," She said, attempting to remain calm as she shed her garment beside the spring and slowly lowered herself into the water.

Wincing slightly as her bandaged side went beneath the surface; she leaned up against the side and exhaled as if the weight of the entire day had just been lifted from her shoulders.

"You'll have to have me rebind your side once we get out…" Ruri said, attempting to start up some conversation.

"You're the one who…"

"It was bleeding badly. I wasn't just going to sit there and do nothing."

Once again, Hari fell silent and Ruri couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head.

Figuring that nothing was going to get resolved otherwise, finally Ruri spoke up.

"Look. I'm sorry about….about… well everything. I don't know what came over me."

Hari remained defiantly silent, as if she was slowly trying to sort out her own emotions.

"I'll…I'll never do it again. I promise," Ruri managed; scared by how hard it was to say those words and knowing she'd regret it.

"No," Hari said softly, "It's just…"

"What? What is it? Whatever it is- I'll…I'll…"

Not wanting to see Ruri blame herself further, Hari reached out and placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"It's not your fault. It's…just I've never kissed anyone aside from the men I've killed. I would use it to throw them off while I…"

Ruri easily saw where this was going and finished her sentence, "While you transformed the leaves into blades or used your talisman to control their mind. It was a matter of getting their guard down."

The purple-haired woman nodded mutely, finding herself embarrassed at the admission.

"I've…I've fought ever since the plagues came and my clan was wiped out. It hasn't left much time for anyone to court me…"

Court her? Was her family of some noble rank?

Ruri pondered, then decided to ask.

"You…came from a family like that?"

"They were very wealthy. Had the flood and famine not come…"

"Did you want some haughty rich man to court you?"

Hari's eyes widened, thrown for a moment by the question.

"It was expected of me to…"

"But what did you want, Hari?"

The two fell silent for a moment before she replied.

"I wanted to live… doing whatever it is I wanted to. I just wanted to be…"

"Free," Ruri finished, "I understand."

"Your family too?"

"Well, sort of. I either stayed and became a slut to a barbarian or killed him and ran."

Hari smiled at that, finding herself warmed by the other woman's tough yet casual nature.

"I see you chose the second."

"He wasn't my type," Ruri said with a laugh, but Hari grew thoughtful.

"Is that why…why you…"

The two both blushed lightly at the topic.

"Why I…"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is. Did you…mean it?" Hari rushed out, diverting her eyes the moment she said it.

Ruri paused, Did I?

She thought back to the kiss, that insane desire that had possessed her into doing it.

"I…I wanted to…" She muttered, more in bewilderment at her own behavior than answering the question.

Silence fell once again until a quiet whisper was made out.

"Do…you want to…now?" Hari stammered out, her face as warm.

Ruri swallowed hard, "Do you…want me to?"

It took a moment, but finally Hari quietly replied.

"I need to know something."

"Okay. If that's what you want…"

Moving forward in the water, Ruri found herself before Hari. Her orchid eyes searching jade eyes for any sign of regret.

Once she was certain that it was indeed something that Hari herself wanted to happen, experimental or not, Ruri slowly leaned forward.

It began as a tentative kiss, but that all changed as Ruri felt Hari's firm grip on the back of her head.

"So this is how she takes out those men, eh?" She mused to herself, finding it hard to think much else as long as the other woman's lips were on hers.

Finally parting, Ruri caught her breath and tilted her head sideways, "…so?"

If it was an experiment, she reasoned she at least had the right to know the results.

"I don't understand but…"

"But…?"

Words seemed lost for the moment. And wanting to recapture something, Ruri slowly reached out and began to run her hand down Hari's arm.

She watched, gauging the other woman's reaction.

"I want you," Hari breathed, hardly believing the words left her mouth after she'd said it.

But despite her own confusion, she found herself leaning into Ruri's touch.

"Seize your desires as they appear. Don't let them retreat," Menoumaru's words echoed inside Ruri's head.

"Then…" She took a deep breath, ready to take a risk, "Go ahead."

They each smiled at one another nervously before slowly beginning to lean in.

And at the moment their mouths made contact, all worries were lost.

All their sadness, their desires, their longing for a better life culminated into this very moment. With only touches and kisses. Without a single word said. The two understood everything about the woman they embraced. Their lives mirrored reflections of one another. A Ying uniting with a Yang and creating a perfect balance.

Together, they broke down the barriers their hard lives had caused around their hearts. Slowly fighting against their pasts side by side, and coming out victorious.

"You make it…sound like a battle."

Her comment echoed in her mind as she wrapped her arms around Hari. Both their breaths ragged and their bodies still trembling.

And somewhere in the depths of her mind, beyond the jumbled emotions and the pounding of her heart, Ruri could hear Menoumaru's reply.

"It is."

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Preview for Chapter 4:

And behind every story, there's a LEGEND….