Nashi's Note - Hello and sorry for the long wait. With being grounded and
schoolwork, it's been hard finding time to write. Thanks to Wolf, Razzie,
Kumoi, and everyone else for reviewing! All of you hold a special place in
my heart! Maw ha...
O.K.! Here it is! Chapter 4! Yay!
Disclaimer- Once again, Tecmo, not me, owns Dead or Alive.
Chapter 4
A river ran deep into the forest, all the way to a great cliff. From the cliff the river jumped into a waterfall, crashing into the lake below. By the cliffs edge sat a child. Her kimono was dirty and torn from running through the forest. Her face was red, streaked by the constant flow of tears.
"Mother..." The child sniffled, "Why did you have to go? Why?" She wrung the sleeve of her kimono; "I don't want to be here... Not without you."
She hoped the waterfall would drone out her crying. The thought of someone finding her was unpleasant. Now that her mother was gone, no one would want her around. All the villagers hated her ever since she was born. They wouldn't dare hurt her under her mother's eye, but now...
The sound of approaching footsteps startled her. She hadn't expected anyone to find her so quickly. What was she going to do? Should she run? One by one the footsteps came closer, until the owner of the feet stopped directly behind her.
Before she could turn to see who the newcomer was, a hand placed itself gently on her shoulder. The kindness of the gesture eased the child's stiffness. It wasn't a large hand of an adult, the one that she had feared, but it wasn't small like her hands either. From behind her, the owner of the hand said in a soothing voice,
"Are you alright?" The question repeated itself in the girl's head. Someone actually cared if she was ok or not? Slowly, the girl turned to see who this person was...
*Buuuzzzzzzzzzzz! *
Ayane jolted forward in her sheets, the sound of her alarm clock waking her. She reached over and pushed the stupid thing onto the floor, ending its buzzing. Damn it... Always at the end... The unfinished dream would probably nag her all day...
Mumbling to herself she got out of bed and straightened her covers. She didn't bother to change out of her nightclothes; there was nowhere she had to go today. Her feet padded softly down the hallway and around the corner to the kitchen. Fresh coffee was waiting for her thanks to the "Auto" setting on her coffee maker. Ayane poured a cup, adding a good amount of milk and sugar, and headed for the living room.
She couldn't remember what time she had went to bed last night. Only that she had stayed up looking over the notes Mako had given her. Ayane settled herself on the sofa and sipped her coffee. What was that dream about? Was she the little child who was crying? Who was the boy?
"It's just a dream, a stupid, meaningless dream." Ayane said as she shook her head, banishing further thought about it. "All I need to think about is how I'm going to find that runaway again..."
As if on cue, someone knocked on her door, startling her. Ayane set her coffee down and slowly got up. Someone knocking on her door was a rare occasion. She never had anyone over before, nor did she tell anyone where she lived. It was her kunoichi nature; never make it easy for someone to find you.
Without making a sound she approached the front door and peeked through the seeing hole. To her astonishment, and relief, it was Hayate. Ayane unlocked the door and opened it far enough for Hayate to come in and closed it once he was out of the way.
Hayate studied her living room absentmindedly; today he wore a normal pair of jeans and a white shirt. He walked to the sofa and sat down rather stiffly, he didn't bother to look at her, only to study the coffee table before him. Not a good sign...
"So..." Ayane said, searching Hayate for any signs of agitation, "To what do I owe this visit?"
"Why did you come to the estate the day before? What did you want?" Hayate took his eyes off the table and looked at her, "And don't say it was just to visit." Ayane felt a bit hurt by his last remark, but didn't let it show.
"Oh? So I can't visit my own brother?" Anger flashed across Hayate's face.
"Ayane, you don't 'visit' people, you go to someone only when there's something in it for you," Hayate shook his head and looked back at the coffee table, "Now, what did you want?"
Hayate's words shook Ayane; she didn't go to him only when she wanted something. Sure, that had been the reason the day before, but she only used the excuse of wanting something just so she could see him...
"Well?" He said the word with impatience, as if he'd rather be anywhere but here, in her living room. Ayane turned on her heel and stormed down the hallway to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She threw her back against the door.
What nerve! He comes to her apartment, doesn't even give her a second glance, and then starts asking her questions in an annoyed tone? How could Hayate, her sweet, caring brother Hayate, be so rude to his own sister?
Quickly she changed out of her nightclothes, and into a pair of pants and a black tank top. She grabbed her hairbrush and started to straighten her hair. Hayate's voice came from outside the door.
"Ayane, that was incredibly childish." Hayate sighed, "Look, I'm sorry that I said that. But, it just seems that whenever you come to me, you're in need of something." There was a short pause. "Can you think of a time when you've come to the estate and simply asked to see me?"
Ayane finished her hair and pulled on a clean pair of socks. She walked over to her bedroom door and opened it. Hayate stood there, his posture slumped, hands in his pockets, with a tired look on his face.
"Why did you come to see me yesterday?" He asked again. His brown eyes looked tired, to tired for someone his age. Maybe it was the stress of being the Mugen Tenshin clan leader, or maybe it was from having to deal with her...
"I went to see you..." Ayane said, "Truly, just to see you, brother." It was a lie, and she knew it, but she couldn't tell Hayate and his tired eyes that she only went to see him for information on the runaway. Hayate's eyes seemed brighten a little and he smiled, a small smile, but a smile still.
"Ok, that's all I wanted to know." Hayate walked down back to the living room and Ayane followed, "I can't stay, I have some details with the clan to deal with." He made it to the front door and turned to her. "But I'll be off tomorrow, so how about we get together for launch?"
"That would be great!" Ayane grabbed her shoes by the door and slipped them on. "By the way Hayate, how did you find me?" Hayate gave a small chuckle at the question.
"Ayane, I'm the leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan." He tapped a knowing finger to his nose. "There are few things I don't know."
"Pfft, you wish!" They both laughed as Hayate opened the door. Once they were outside they said their good-byes and headed in different directions. Hayate to attend to clan matters and Ayane to...
Ayane stopped walking and looked around her. What was she doing? She hadn't even finished her coffee this morning! Stupid Hayate, he had thrown off her train of thought. But, it was nice seeing him. The image of his tired face came back to her, making her worry. Clan leader or not, even he needs rest.
Images from her dream came back to her. The crying child, the waterfall, the little boy... Maybe Hayate was the boy... But that still didn't answer her question about the girl. Ayane shook her head, an action that seemed effective for dispelling the thought. If she was going to think about something, it wasn't going to be that stupid dream.
The weather was nice, not to warm with a gentle breeze. So Ayane figured a walk would be nice. Even though she had been living in this area since the end of the second Dead or Alive competition, she hadn't taken the time to look around the area. Sure, she knew the streets and how to get where, but she didn't know all the little shops and cafés on each street.
One by one she passed stores, each decorated with banners and signs declaring sales and what new items they had in. Each of the stores carried something different, but one store caught her eye. It was a two-story building, and wasn't decorated in flashy banners like any of the other stores. It only had a simple, hand painted sign; stating "Curio" sat above the door.
Curio? Was it some kind of foreign store? She peeked in the window, trying to figure out what a 'curio' was, but the bright sunlight made the inside of the store dark. The front door held an "Open" sign on it, so it seemed further investigation would be possible. A bell hanging above the door rang as she walked in. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the store's lighting, she looked around.
She was amazed by what she saw. This store didn't sell just one category of things, but rather, it had a range of one odd item to the next. From the display case of jewelry she'd had never seen before, to the exotic paintings hanging on the walls. No sign of any 'curios' she thought, but as she walked around, a display in the corner drew her attention.
It was a display of foreign dolls in a large class case that hugged the wall. Each doll was different, from different nations and cultures, standing in little poses. Their hairstyles, dresses, even their little accessories made her, without even knowing it, smile with girlish wonderment.
"Quite nice, aren't they?" said a male voice behind her. Ayane froze. Someone was standing directly behind her, maybe a little to the left. How the hell did he get so close to her without her noticing? Ayane turned, and was caught off guard by who she saw.
Ryu Hayabusa... Of all the people she could've run into, it had to be Hayabusa, wearing a white collared shirt, with black dress pants. At least he's not decked out in all black, Ayane thought to herself.
"What are you doing here?" Ayane said, trying not to sound to bratty, "A little afternoon shopping?" Hayabusa shook his head, making a hand gesture to the store around them.
"I own this building, and this shop." He said, "What are you doing here?" Hayabusa walked over to a nearby shelf and rearranged some of the items on it, "A little afternoon shopping?"
Darn it, didn't Hayate once tell her Hayabusa owned a shop? What were the chances that it would be down the street from her apartment, and that she would actually find it!
"What I do is none of your business." She said, folding her arms, "I just happened to see this boring little shop and wanted to see what was inside." She tossed him a glanced to find that he was still rearranging the shelves.
"And just what is a "curio"? I've looked all over this shop and haven't found one yet!" Hayabusa turned to look at her, a look of... Humor? She didn't even know Hayabusa could do humor!
"Of course you haven't seen one. How can you see something when you don't know what it is?" He left the self and waved a hand around the store, "Everything you see in here is a curio." Ayane opened her mouth to say something, but Hayabusa raised his hand to halt her.
"It's a word used for a shop full of bizarre and rare items." He gestured to the dolls. "Like these." Ayane felt stupid, incredibly stupid. She must have sounded like an idiot, ranting about curios. No wonder he looked so amused.
"Oh... "She said more to herself then to Hayabusa, "Thanks for clearing that up..." Hayabusa went to what Ayane figured to be the stores counter, and took a seat behind it. "So, I guess that even super ninjas need a day job." He pulled out a novel and flipped to a marked page.
"It pays the bills..." There was silence now. He was reading his book and she was just standing there. She didn't know much about Hayabusa. Only that he was leader of his own clan and allies with hers.
So did that make him her ally also? She herself was only half Mugan Tenshin. The other half of her was Hajinmon, the art of her true father. Ayane was so deep in her thoughts she hardly noticed Hayabusa was talking to her. "What?"
"I asked, if you were hungry." He said, not looking up from his book. Ayane gave him a puzzled look.
"No, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"I can hear your stomach growling from here." Ayane, totally embarrassed, looked down at her stomach. She could feel it rumbling inside of her, telling her she was an idiot for skipping breakfast. Thanks to Hayate...
"My stomach is just mad at me for not feeding it. That's all." Hayabusa looked up from his book and over at her.
"So you are hungry." Ayane could feel color come to her cheeks. Hayabusa stood and placed his book on the counter and walked to a door behind the counter, "Wait there" He said as he left through it.
Wait there? Was that an order or something? Did he actually expect her to wait here while he went to do something? But, she had nothing better to do... She walked over to the front counter and rested her elbows on the glass. Her stomach growled again. "Oh shut up."
"Excuse me?" Hayabusa had returned and was carrying something in on of his hands.
"Sorry, not you, my stomach." Ayane could feel the heat in her face again. Stupid, stupid, stupid... Haybusa shrugged, and put a small basket in front of her. It was covered with a small white cloth. He lifted the cloth to reveal a pile of small muffins.
"Try one, they're good." Ayane looked from Hayabusa to the muffins, back to Hayabusa. Hayabusa? Baking? She tried hard to suppress her laughter, but when an image of Hayabusa, the almighty super ninja, in an apron popped into her head she couldn't help it.
Between her giggles she was able to say, "You? Baking? It's too much!" Hayabusa gave her a confused look.
He left the basket on the counter and returned to his book, "I'm sorry to disappoint you Ayane. But I didn't bake those. They were a gift from an old lady who lives next door." Then after a pause, "Is it really that funny?" Ayane nodded her head, her laughter subsiding.
There was a variation of muffins in the basket, and they all smelled great. That or her stomach was too hungry to care. She plucked a blueberry flavored one from the basket and nibbled on it.
"Not bad." She remarked, which was an understatement. It tasted great! She might've skipped breakfast, even dinner for that matter, but it would've tasted great no matter what. She looked over to Hayabusa and found him looking at her. "What?"
"Nothing, I just didn't expect you to pick that flavor." He said more to himself then to her, "You two seem to be complete opposites, and yet you're so alike. You even like the same muffin flavors." What the hell did that mean?
"Who are you...?" Ayane stopped in mid-sentence. No, he couldn't be talking about... could he?
"I'm talking about your sister..."
"Half-sister!" She interrupted, her good mood gone. How did he know what flavor Kasumi liked? How much did he know about her half-sister? Did he see her regularly?
"Of course," Ayane said to herself, "How could I be so stupid?" He protected her during the last tournament, why would any of that change now? Ayane set the muffin down and walked to the front door.
"Sorry, Hayabusa, but I have to get going." She said it in a calm matter, not giving him any idea how angry she was, "I have a runaway shinobi to find." He didn't say anything as she left, or when she slammed the door, only looked at her with an indifferent stare.
Ayane walked so fast the scenery around her blurred together. He was still protecting her. She knew it. Probably still under the order of her dear brother. She cursed under her breath. As soon as she found that runaway she would make her suffer...
She stopped suddenly. Why was she so mad? So what if Hayabusa was protecting her? It was nothing new. Not like he just decided to do it to piss her off. Ayane continued walking. No one, not even Hayabusa, would stop her from killing Kasumi.
She walked for a while, and since the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, she must've been walking longer then she thought. Now she stood outside the house that she had found Kasumi in on the night of their 'fight'.
Ayane figured she would find out some information on Kasumi. She would just act like one of her friends and ask to be let inside.
Though she could probably get all the information she ever wanted if she just asked Hayabusa. He seemed to know everything about her coward of a half-sister. The thought made her mad, she didn't know why, but it did. Stupid Hayabusa...
It was a pleasant looking house, painted white with a blue trimming around the windows and door. As she walked up to the front door she noticed the different types of flowers planted along the sidewalk. Each one looked contempt with its place, swaying gently in the wind. The porch was large, covered in potted plants, with a rocking chair beside the front door.
The night that Ayane had come here for Kasumi was dark, and she hadn't paid much attention to the decorations. She had spotted Kasumi taking out the trash for the old woman, which Ayane hadn't seen. However, before Ayane could strike, Kasumi had noticed her and ran off into the woods...
Now Ayane wondered if Kasumi had come back. If she had then Ayane wouldn't let her get away this time... She knocked on the door and waited for a response. She could hear light footsteps behind the door.
"Just a minute!" A voice said, too old to be Kasumi's. The door opened in front of her and a short, old lady greeted her. This must be grandma; Ayane smiled, "Yes? How may I help you dear?"
"Good evening ma'am! I'm sorry it's a bit late, but I was wondering, is your granddaughter was home?" Ayane said in her sweetest voice, "She borrowed something of mine, and I'd like to get it back." The old woman smiled, and shook her head.
"I'm very sorry, but my granddaughter has been gone for a few days." The old woman opened the door farther and stood aside so Ayane could walk in, "But you may check her room if you like. It's right up the stairs and on the left. Just try not to mess anything."
"Oh, thank you so much!" Ayane smiled to herself, this was perfect. Maybe she could find some clue to where Kasumi may have went. But she felt disappointed that she couldn't take care of her here and now.
She climbed the stairs and headed for the door on the left. It opened to an incredibly girlish room. The walls were pink, white lace hung over the windows, all the furniture was painted in a paler pink in contrast with the walls, and stuffed animals were pilled on the bed. The whole room made Ayane sick.
Closing the door behind her she went further into the room. She looked under the bed, threw the stuffed animals off the bed and looked between the mattresses. "Nothing here..." she mumbled, throwing the animals back on the bed.
Walking over to the vanity she spotted a small piece of paper stuck to the mirror. With further inspection she found it to be a restaurant check, on the back of it was an address and phone number. The address was... Hayabusa's store...
The afternoon's events flashed through her head. Hayabusa, Kasumi's knight in shining armor. Ayane took the paper by its corners and ripped it in half, letting it float the floor. If she did find Kasumi, would she have to fight Hayabusa?
She pushed Hayabusa from her thoughts and continued to search the room. A door opposite of the door she entered held a large walk in closet. She clicked on the light and started to look through the clothes racks. If she could just find... "Ah ha!"
It was a school uniform; a sailor fuki with long sleeves. Ayane checked the shirt pocket and was once again rewarded with a school ID card, clearly stating the school's name and address; also... that it belonged to Kasumi.
Ayane smirked, she had her now, and Kasumi would be hers, no problem...
Ayane hurried back down the stairs, stuffing Kasumi's ID into her pocket, looking to see if the old woman was around. When Ayane didn't see her she opened the door and softly closed it behind her. Perhaps Lady Luck was smiling on her today.
"Ayane?" The voice made her freeze in place. It couldn't be... Not here... Ayane looked up to see Hayate, looking at her with burning eyes.
Or maybe... Lady luck had played her for a fool...
Disclaimer- Once again, Tecmo, not me, owns Dead or Alive.
Chapter 4
A river ran deep into the forest, all the way to a great cliff. From the cliff the river jumped into a waterfall, crashing into the lake below. By the cliffs edge sat a child. Her kimono was dirty and torn from running through the forest. Her face was red, streaked by the constant flow of tears.
"Mother..." The child sniffled, "Why did you have to go? Why?" She wrung the sleeve of her kimono; "I don't want to be here... Not without you."
She hoped the waterfall would drone out her crying. The thought of someone finding her was unpleasant. Now that her mother was gone, no one would want her around. All the villagers hated her ever since she was born. They wouldn't dare hurt her under her mother's eye, but now...
The sound of approaching footsteps startled her. She hadn't expected anyone to find her so quickly. What was she going to do? Should she run? One by one the footsteps came closer, until the owner of the feet stopped directly behind her.
Before she could turn to see who the newcomer was, a hand placed itself gently on her shoulder. The kindness of the gesture eased the child's stiffness. It wasn't a large hand of an adult, the one that she had feared, but it wasn't small like her hands either. From behind her, the owner of the hand said in a soothing voice,
"Are you alright?" The question repeated itself in the girl's head. Someone actually cared if she was ok or not? Slowly, the girl turned to see who this person was...
*Buuuzzzzzzzzzzz! *
Ayane jolted forward in her sheets, the sound of her alarm clock waking her. She reached over and pushed the stupid thing onto the floor, ending its buzzing. Damn it... Always at the end... The unfinished dream would probably nag her all day...
Mumbling to herself she got out of bed and straightened her covers. She didn't bother to change out of her nightclothes; there was nowhere she had to go today. Her feet padded softly down the hallway and around the corner to the kitchen. Fresh coffee was waiting for her thanks to the "Auto" setting on her coffee maker. Ayane poured a cup, adding a good amount of milk and sugar, and headed for the living room.
She couldn't remember what time she had went to bed last night. Only that she had stayed up looking over the notes Mako had given her. Ayane settled herself on the sofa and sipped her coffee. What was that dream about? Was she the little child who was crying? Who was the boy?
"It's just a dream, a stupid, meaningless dream." Ayane said as she shook her head, banishing further thought about it. "All I need to think about is how I'm going to find that runaway again..."
As if on cue, someone knocked on her door, startling her. Ayane set her coffee down and slowly got up. Someone knocking on her door was a rare occasion. She never had anyone over before, nor did she tell anyone where she lived. It was her kunoichi nature; never make it easy for someone to find you.
Without making a sound she approached the front door and peeked through the seeing hole. To her astonishment, and relief, it was Hayate. Ayane unlocked the door and opened it far enough for Hayate to come in and closed it once he was out of the way.
Hayate studied her living room absentmindedly; today he wore a normal pair of jeans and a white shirt. He walked to the sofa and sat down rather stiffly, he didn't bother to look at her, only to study the coffee table before him. Not a good sign...
"So..." Ayane said, searching Hayate for any signs of agitation, "To what do I owe this visit?"
"Why did you come to the estate the day before? What did you want?" Hayate took his eyes off the table and looked at her, "And don't say it was just to visit." Ayane felt a bit hurt by his last remark, but didn't let it show.
"Oh? So I can't visit my own brother?" Anger flashed across Hayate's face.
"Ayane, you don't 'visit' people, you go to someone only when there's something in it for you," Hayate shook his head and looked back at the coffee table, "Now, what did you want?"
Hayate's words shook Ayane; she didn't go to him only when she wanted something. Sure, that had been the reason the day before, but she only used the excuse of wanting something just so she could see him...
"Well?" He said the word with impatience, as if he'd rather be anywhere but here, in her living room. Ayane turned on her heel and stormed down the hallway to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She threw her back against the door.
What nerve! He comes to her apartment, doesn't even give her a second glance, and then starts asking her questions in an annoyed tone? How could Hayate, her sweet, caring brother Hayate, be so rude to his own sister?
Quickly she changed out of her nightclothes, and into a pair of pants and a black tank top. She grabbed her hairbrush and started to straighten her hair. Hayate's voice came from outside the door.
"Ayane, that was incredibly childish." Hayate sighed, "Look, I'm sorry that I said that. But, it just seems that whenever you come to me, you're in need of something." There was a short pause. "Can you think of a time when you've come to the estate and simply asked to see me?"
Ayane finished her hair and pulled on a clean pair of socks. She walked over to her bedroom door and opened it. Hayate stood there, his posture slumped, hands in his pockets, with a tired look on his face.
"Why did you come to see me yesterday?" He asked again. His brown eyes looked tired, to tired for someone his age. Maybe it was the stress of being the Mugen Tenshin clan leader, or maybe it was from having to deal with her...
"I went to see you..." Ayane said, "Truly, just to see you, brother." It was a lie, and she knew it, but she couldn't tell Hayate and his tired eyes that she only went to see him for information on the runaway. Hayate's eyes seemed brighten a little and he smiled, a small smile, but a smile still.
"Ok, that's all I wanted to know." Hayate walked down back to the living room and Ayane followed, "I can't stay, I have some details with the clan to deal with." He made it to the front door and turned to her. "But I'll be off tomorrow, so how about we get together for launch?"
"That would be great!" Ayane grabbed her shoes by the door and slipped them on. "By the way Hayate, how did you find me?" Hayate gave a small chuckle at the question.
"Ayane, I'm the leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan." He tapped a knowing finger to his nose. "There are few things I don't know."
"Pfft, you wish!" They both laughed as Hayate opened the door. Once they were outside they said their good-byes and headed in different directions. Hayate to attend to clan matters and Ayane to...
Ayane stopped walking and looked around her. What was she doing? She hadn't even finished her coffee this morning! Stupid Hayate, he had thrown off her train of thought. But, it was nice seeing him. The image of his tired face came back to her, making her worry. Clan leader or not, even he needs rest.
Images from her dream came back to her. The crying child, the waterfall, the little boy... Maybe Hayate was the boy... But that still didn't answer her question about the girl. Ayane shook her head, an action that seemed effective for dispelling the thought. If she was going to think about something, it wasn't going to be that stupid dream.
The weather was nice, not to warm with a gentle breeze. So Ayane figured a walk would be nice. Even though she had been living in this area since the end of the second Dead or Alive competition, she hadn't taken the time to look around the area. Sure, she knew the streets and how to get where, but she didn't know all the little shops and cafés on each street.
One by one she passed stores, each decorated with banners and signs declaring sales and what new items they had in. Each of the stores carried something different, but one store caught her eye. It was a two-story building, and wasn't decorated in flashy banners like any of the other stores. It only had a simple, hand painted sign; stating "Curio" sat above the door.
Curio? Was it some kind of foreign store? She peeked in the window, trying to figure out what a 'curio' was, but the bright sunlight made the inside of the store dark. The front door held an "Open" sign on it, so it seemed further investigation would be possible. A bell hanging above the door rang as she walked in. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the store's lighting, she looked around.
She was amazed by what she saw. This store didn't sell just one category of things, but rather, it had a range of one odd item to the next. From the display case of jewelry she'd had never seen before, to the exotic paintings hanging on the walls. No sign of any 'curios' she thought, but as she walked around, a display in the corner drew her attention.
It was a display of foreign dolls in a large class case that hugged the wall. Each doll was different, from different nations and cultures, standing in little poses. Their hairstyles, dresses, even their little accessories made her, without even knowing it, smile with girlish wonderment.
"Quite nice, aren't they?" said a male voice behind her. Ayane froze. Someone was standing directly behind her, maybe a little to the left. How the hell did he get so close to her without her noticing? Ayane turned, and was caught off guard by who she saw.
Ryu Hayabusa... Of all the people she could've run into, it had to be Hayabusa, wearing a white collared shirt, with black dress pants. At least he's not decked out in all black, Ayane thought to herself.
"What are you doing here?" Ayane said, trying not to sound to bratty, "A little afternoon shopping?" Hayabusa shook his head, making a hand gesture to the store around them.
"I own this building, and this shop." He said, "What are you doing here?" Hayabusa walked over to a nearby shelf and rearranged some of the items on it, "A little afternoon shopping?"
Darn it, didn't Hayate once tell her Hayabusa owned a shop? What were the chances that it would be down the street from her apartment, and that she would actually find it!
"What I do is none of your business." She said, folding her arms, "I just happened to see this boring little shop and wanted to see what was inside." She tossed him a glanced to find that he was still rearranging the shelves.
"And just what is a "curio"? I've looked all over this shop and haven't found one yet!" Hayabusa turned to look at her, a look of... Humor? She didn't even know Hayabusa could do humor!
"Of course you haven't seen one. How can you see something when you don't know what it is?" He left the self and waved a hand around the store, "Everything you see in here is a curio." Ayane opened her mouth to say something, but Hayabusa raised his hand to halt her.
"It's a word used for a shop full of bizarre and rare items." He gestured to the dolls. "Like these." Ayane felt stupid, incredibly stupid. She must have sounded like an idiot, ranting about curios. No wonder he looked so amused.
"Oh... "She said more to herself then to Hayabusa, "Thanks for clearing that up..." Hayabusa went to what Ayane figured to be the stores counter, and took a seat behind it. "So, I guess that even super ninjas need a day job." He pulled out a novel and flipped to a marked page.
"It pays the bills..." There was silence now. He was reading his book and she was just standing there. She didn't know much about Hayabusa. Only that he was leader of his own clan and allies with hers.
So did that make him her ally also? She herself was only half Mugan Tenshin. The other half of her was Hajinmon, the art of her true father. Ayane was so deep in her thoughts she hardly noticed Hayabusa was talking to her. "What?"
"I asked, if you were hungry." He said, not looking up from his book. Ayane gave him a puzzled look.
"No, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"I can hear your stomach growling from here." Ayane, totally embarrassed, looked down at her stomach. She could feel it rumbling inside of her, telling her she was an idiot for skipping breakfast. Thanks to Hayate...
"My stomach is just mad at me for not feeding it. That's all." Hayabusa looked up from his book and over at her.
"So you are hungry." Ayane could feel color come to her cheeks. Hayabusa stood and placed his book on the counter and walked to a door behind the counter, "Wait there" He said as he left through it.
Wait there? Was that an order or something? Did he actually expect her to wait here while he went to do something? But, she had nothing better to do... She walked over to the front counter and rested her elbows on the glass. Her stomach growled again. "Oh shut up."
"Excuse me?" Hayabusa had returned and was carrying something in on of his hands.
"Sorry, not you, my stomach." Ayane could feel the heat in her face again. Stupid, stupid, stupid... Haybusa shrugged, and put a small basket in front of her. It was covered with a small white cloth. He lifted the cloth to reveal a pile of small muffins.
"Try one, they're good." Ayane looked from Hayabusa to the muffins, back to Hayabusa. Hayabusa? Baking? She tried hard to suppress her laughter, but when an image of Hayabusa, the almighty super ninja, in an apron popped into her head she couldn't help it.
Between her giggles she was able to say, "You? Baking? It's too much!" Hayabusa gave her a confused look.
He left the basket on the counter and returned to his book, "I'm sorry to disappoint you Ayane. But I didn't bake those. They were a gift from an old lady who lives next door." Then after a pause, "Is it really that funny?" Ayane nodded her head, her laughter subsiding.
There was a variation of muffins in the basket, and they all smelled great. That or her stomach was too hungry to care. She plucked a blueberry flavored one from the basket and nibbled on it.
"Not bad." She remarked, which was an understatement. It tasted great! She might've skipped breakfast, even dinner for that matter, but it would've tasted great no matter what. She looked over to Hayabusa and found him looking at her. "What?"
"Nothing, I just didn't expect you to pick that flavor." He said more to himself then to her, "You two seem to be complete opposites, and yet you're so alike. You even like the same muffin flavors." What the hell did that mean?
"Who are you...?" Ayane stopped in mid-sentence. No, he couldn't be talking about... could he?
"I'm talking about your sister..."
"Half-sister!" She interrupted, her good mood gone. How did he know what flavor Kasumi liked? How much did he know about her half-sister? Did he see her regularly?
"Of course," Ayane said to herself, "How could I be so stupid?" He protected her during the last tournament, why would any of that change now? Ayane set the muffin down and walked to the front door.
"Sorry, Hayabusa, but I have to get going." She said it in a calm matter, not giving him any idea how angry she was, "I have a runaway shinobi to find." He didn't say anything as she left, or when she slammed the door, only looked at her with an indifferent stare.
Ayane walked so fast the scenery around her blurred together. He was still protecting her. She knew it. Probably still under the order of her dear brother. She cursed under her breath. As soon as she found that runaway she would make her suffer...
She stopped suddenly. Why was she so mad? So what if Hayabusa was protecting her? It was nothing new. Not like he just decided to do it to piss her off. Ayane continued walking. No one, not even Hayabusa, would stop her from killing Kasumi.
She walked for a while, and since the sun was beginning to set on the horizon, she must've been walking longer then she thought. Now she stood outside the house that she had found Kasumi in on the night of their 'fight'.
Ayane figured she would find out some information on Kasumi. She would just act like one of her friends and ask to be let inside.
Though she could probably get all the information she ever wanted if she just asked Hayabusa. He seemed to know everything about her coward of a half-sister. The thought made her mad, she didn't know why, but it did. Stupid Hayabusa...
It was a pleasant looking house, painted white with a blue trimming around the windows and door. As she walked up to the front door she noticed the different types of flowers planted along the sidewalk. Each one looked contempt with its place, swaying gently in the wind. The porch was large, covered in potted plants, with a rocking chair beside the front door.
The night that Ayane had come here for Kasumi was dark, and she hadn't paid much attention to the decorations. She had spotted Kasumi taking out the trash for the old woman, which Ayane hadn't seen. However, before Ayane could strike, Kasumi had noticed her and ran off into the woods...
Now Ayane wondered if Kasumi had come back. If she had then Ayane wouldn't let her get away this time... She knocked on the door and waited for a response. She could hear light footsteps behind the door.
"Just a minute!" A voice said, too old to be Kasumi's. The door opened in front of her and a short, old lady greeted her. This must be grandma; Ayane smiled, "Yes? How may I help you dear?"
"Good evening ma'am! I'm sorry it's a bit late, but I was wondering, is your granddaughter was home?" Ayane said in her sweetest voice, "She borrowed something of mine, and I'd like to get it back." The old woman smiled, and shook her head.
"I'm very sorry, but my granddaughter has been gone for a few days." The old woman opened the door farther and stood aside so Ayane could walk in, "But you may check her room if you like. It's right up the stairs and on the left. Just try not to mess anything."
"Oh, thank you so much!" Ayane smiled to herself, this was perfect. Maybe she could find some clue to where Kasumi may have went. But she felt disappointed that she couldn't take care of her here and now.
She climbed the stairs and headed for the door on the left. It opened to an incredibly girlish room. The walls were pink, white lace hung over the windows, all the furniture was painted in a paler pink in contrast with the walls, and stuffed animals were pilled on the bed. The whole room made Ayane sick.
Closing the door behind her she went further into the room. She looked under the bed, threw the stuffed animals off the bed and looked between the mattresses. "Nothing here..." she mumbled, throwing the animals back on the bed.
Walking over to the vanity she spotted a small piece of paper stuck to the mirror. With further inspection she found it to be a restaurant check, on the back of it was an address and phone number. The address was... Hayabusa's store...
The afternoon's events flashed through her head. Hayabusa, Kasumi's knight in shining armor. Ayane took the paper by its corners and ripped it in half, letting it float the floor. If she did find Kasumi, would she have to fight Hayabusa?
She pushed Hayabusa from her thoughts and continued to search the room. A door opposite of the door she entered held a large walk in closet. She clicked on the light and started to look through the clothes racks. If she could just find... "Ah ha!"
It was a school uniform; a sailor fuki with long sleeves. Ayane checked the shirt pocket and was once again rewarded with a school ID card, clearly stating the school's name and address; also... that it belonged to Kasumi.
Ayane smirked, she had her now, and Kasumi would be hers, no problem...
Ayane hurried back down the stairs, stuffing Kasumi's ID into her pocket, looking to see if the old woman was around. When Ayane didn't see her she opened the door and softly closed it behind her. Perhaps Lady Luck was smiling on her today.
"Ayane?" The voice made her freeze in place. It couldn't be... Not here... Ayane looked up to see Hayate, looking at her with burning eyes.
Or maybe... Lady luck had played her for a fool...