Ayame and Tatsumaru lied silently in bed as the rain poured outside. Tatsumaru was like no other ninja, he was the heir to the Azuma clan, but gave it all away. He tried to kill his teacher, Shiunsai, but failed and was banished from the clan. Ayame was only 14 when all of this happened, but she remembers it like it was yesterday. She could still feel the sorrow she felt when Tatsumaru left, and she told herself that they would meet again. At the age of 24, Ayame spends her time teaching and educating ninjas coming into the Azuma clan. She felt much younger and wiser with time, but when she looked in the mirror it wasn't the same face. The stains of her battles scarred her face and her face even felt older like it had been put through more battles than she has fought.
She remembered that night when Tatsumaru attacked Shiunsai. He was fast, but his wisdom had not reached him yet. At the age of 60, Shiunsai was strong enough to heal his wound Tatsumaru left him on his shoulder. The scar was left on his shoulder until the day he died. Ayame closed her eyes and remembered the ambush that took place in Shiunsai's training area down in the dry, desert-like area. She was visiting Shiunsai for the first time since Tatsumaru was banished. She regretted not coming earlier. It was almost a year ago when it happened, but Ayame was still mourning. Thousands of warriors stormed the gates as she made way over the hills guarding Shinusai. The hot sun made Ayame think that this was all a dream. There were so many warriors, just attacking and killing everything that walked. It lasted only minutes until they retreated in the Southern direction.
Tears began to fall down her eyes as she remembered that painful day; her chest began to ache from the emotional stress that it caused her. Ayame never cried, but this was almost as painful ast Tatsumaru leaving. She gripped the sheets on Tatsumaru's bed, who had fallen asleep as Ayame lied in his bare arms. She still thought of that day, and her running to Shiunsai's bloody body. He was still alive, but barely.
"Please, stay still sensei!" Her voice echoed through the empty area.
"Ayame... Is that really you?" Shiunsai choked on his own blood, "There were so many... I couldn't... I couldn't protect my students... or even myself." At that moment, Shiunsai passed away in her arms. Covered in blood, Ayame screamed out. She screamed out of anger, out of pain, but mostly out of hate. She hated the people who did this. Why would they harm Shiunsai, who protected the innocent and punished the evil?
Ayame stayed at Shiunsai's for almost a year, making sure the dead were buried and the place was kept. Lord Gohda gave her permission to stay there, knowing it was a hard time for Ayame. She was a tough girl, but nothing would prepare her for what appeared on the sandy hills around Shinusai's dojo. Standing on the hill, wind in his dark hair, was Tatsumaru. He had come back to her after all these years. Standing in shock, Ayame remembers the millions of emotions that ran through her. Even when he spoke, she couldn't believe it was him.
"I didn't expect anyone to be here... I heard the news from the town near me... I had to see if it was true. But I guess I found a better surprise," His soft voice made shivers run down her spine. She remembers how he felt when she wrapped her arms around him.
Now, here she was, after begging him to let her come with him, she was lying in bed with the man she never forgot after all of these years. She felt his body shift in bed as he stretched his arms and placed them around her. Their soft bodies touched together as the rain outside made peaceful music to their silence. Ayame wrapped her hands around Tatsumaru's forearm, rubbing her face gently against it.
"I am glad I found you again," Tatsumaru finally said, placing his fingers in between her's. His eyes were still filled with sleep, but his soft voice was still the same as always.
"You're lucky I still remembered you," Ayame smiled sarcastically.
"You know you could never forget me, just as I could never forget you," He leaned in to kiss her. Touching his lips to her's, he felt like he was in heaven. This was what he waited 10 years for. Although she had matured, it was for the best and made Tatsumaru love her even more.
The rain hit the roof top of the small house in the dense forest. Trees surrounded the small 3 room house and protected them from anyone. Being it July, the air was very humid in the forest and the blankets stuck to their skins as they lied together. It was almost sunrise and they had not gotten one wink of sleep.
"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't see you again, Tatsumaru..." Ayame lowered her voice. Looking concerned, Tatsumaru placed his finger over her lips. There was more outside then the rain and leaves. His quick senses could tell there was someone outside the house. He stood up and quickly put a black training robe on, the first thing he grabbed.
He pushed open the door with his fist and stood outside in the rain. It poured down on his face and body as he looked around. No one was there. Ayame ran up behind him and looked around as well. She grabbed firmly onto her two swords as her hair swayed in the quiet breeze. She only had time to get dressed, so her hair was let down.
The leaves crackled as Tatsumaru saw a shadow run through the bushes in front of him. They braced themselves for what was ahead of him.
"Tatsumaru..." Ayame whispered. He quickly looked back at her, he asked what was wrong but Ayame was too shocked. She pointed in front of her.
"Rikimaru..." Tatsumaru said quietly. He said nothing as he threw five darts at them. They quickly dodged them as they flipped behind Rikimaru.
"What do you want!" Ayame yelled as she braced herself behind him. He was so fast that she couldn't keep up with his attacks. Some of the blows cut her but she tried her best not to let them hit her too bad.
"I won't let you hurt her!" Tatsumaru yelled as he ran towards Rikimaru. He kicked him swiftly and he stumbled back a bit from the blow.
"Tell us why you're here!" Ayame yelled.
"Why do you think? Gohda sent me," Rikimaru said as he looked at both of them. "Ayame, you broke one of the commitments not to associate with someone who had been banished. No matter how long you wait. I have been sent here to kill you both."
"I can't let you do that..." Tatsumaru said as he placed his arm in front of Ayame to hold her back and to also protect her. Looking around, Ayame saw packs of wolves gathering around them.
"Tatsumaru... What is this?" Ayame asked.
"Being out here for so long, you begin to make new allies..." He said quietly as blood-red flashed in his eyes. Ayame could feel the power illuminating from his body as she grabbed his arm. She could hear the howls and the growls as the wolves encircled Rikimaru.
"Leave and I won't kill you. We will both leave and go where no one will find us," Tatsumaru's voice boomed.
"I will not become a traitor like you both did," Rikimaru stood his ground as he got his darts ready to throw at the wolves. Tatsumaru gave ok for the wolves to attack. All 40 of them lunged and tried to get a good bite out of Rikimaru. He warded them off with his sword and darts. In a matter of minutes, the wolves that once encircled him, were now in a pile of corpses.
Tatsumaru pushed Ayame back as he lunged at Rikimaru. They were both very quick, but Rikimaru was faster. He had been training ever since Tatsumaru was banished, while Tatsumaru became a humble man with his skills hidden for times like these. Tatsumaru grabbed onto Rikimaru's blade and kicked him to the ground.
"I will not let you hurt us. We did nothing to you. You were the boy who looked up to me when I was on top. Now that you're on top, you feel like you can belittle me and try to take away my pride. I may be old, and I may have forgotten much of my training, but I still have my skills and talents... You have no heart, Rikimaru... That is what will kill you," Tatsumaru placed his foot on Rikimaru's chest.
"You've always been a fool," Rikimaru strained to breathe. As soon as he said that, thousands of footsteps were heard rushing through the forest. Tatsumaru stepped off Rikimaru, but by then it was too late. Rikimaru had grabbed his sword and drove it into Tatsumaru's stomach. "Once a fool always a fool, my skills have prospered while your's have stayed the same through out all of these years..."
"No, you just betray your clansmen with your trickery..." Tatsumaru gasped as he knelt before Rikimaru.
"You're one to talk about betrayal..." Rikimaru twisted the blade as Tatsumaru fell to his side as Rikimaru removed the blade. The rain continued to pour as Ayame stood in the doorway. She ran up behind Rikimaru, blades in hand, slicing his neck open. Her anger built as she saw Tatsumaru lying there.
"Tatsumaru... I will avenge you... Even if it means my life. My life is meaningless without you by my side," She said as she stroked his hair.
"Ay...am...e..." Tatsumaru gasped as his eyes became lifeless. Ayame hung her head over him, shedding a few tears in his demise. Looking over at Rikimaru, it was nothing but a costume. Ayame knew it, since Rikimaru wouldn't let her sneak up behind him. She hung her head, knowing that Tatsumaru's death was in vain. She sneered as she took his body to the house, lying him in his bed.
"You'll be safe here... The person who did this to you will pay... They will pay with their life and their soul. Whoever did this will not see the light of day, they will burn in hell with Mei-Oh and everyone else who knows nothing but death and evil," Ayame clutched her fists, "They will pay..."
Ayame ran off, closing the door behind her. She knew she had to dedicate her life to avenging Tatsumaru's life. She ran as fast as she could as the rain hit her face but it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. Her life would be lived as a ghost avenging her lost love. Nothing would stop her, nothing would get in the way of her vengeance.