Chapter 11: Goodbye
Asaki and Jin decided to have their wedding in one week. They wanted it to be a private ceremony and invited no one. During the week, they organized and planned on what they would do and how the ceremony would go.
"Jin, I can't believe that in a few days you and I will be husband and wife."
"I'm looking forward to it Asaki. After having been apart from each other for so long and finally being able to get the chance to be so close once again."
Asaki laughed a little, "I wonder what your friends Fuu and Mugen would say."
"I don't know."
"I bet Fuu would be happy for us and Mugen would…"
"Mugen would make fun of me and tell me that I was soft and he'd call me by varying forms of pet names."
Asaki laughed again, "Yes, I suppose that's true. He does act that way but you know Jin, he can't be all that bad."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because you traveled with him and you two haven't killed each other yet. Anyone that travels with you and helps you do things can't be bad right?"
"I guess so. What would your students say?"
"They would probably be happy for us but they'd want to make sure that I would still be there to teach them swordsmanship." She laughed.
Jin smiled, laughing a little himself, "Who knows Asaki, perhaps we could train them together." He looked over at Asaki, smiling. He looked into her eyes, his heart starting beating quickly as he slowly leaned in, pressing his lips to hers softly.
Asaki blushed, her eyes widening at first but slowly closing as she gave into the kiss, as she gave into him.
Jin placed his hand under her chin, gently lifting it up slightly, tilting his head to the side a little to bring more passion into the kiss. He then released her chin gently, smiling at her.
Asaki smiled back at him, wrapping her arms around him tenderly. Jin returned the gentle and warm embrace, the two sitting in Asaki's room. They then stood up and decided to go into town. They walked over to a shop that sold flowers. Asaki smiled, looking at the wide variety of flowers that they had, smelling a few of them that she found to be beautiful. Jin bought a single flower, trimming the stem and placing it in Asaki's hair, letting it rest on her ear. Asaki smiled at his gentle, loving gesture.
As they walked out of the store, the same man from before watched them from afar. "So they think they can just go ahead and go along with the plans that they want to do they? Well we can't have that happening. We can't have the past repeating itself. Those two are going to pay for what they've done and what better day to do it than the day that those two get married?" He smirked, heading to the priest's home. The priest was home.
"Yes sir, what can I do for you?"
"I need some information about a certain wedding."
"What wedding might that be?"
"The one between Asaki and Jin."
"Asaki and Jin? I don't know what or who you are talking about…"
"Don't lie to me old man, I ain't in the mood. Now are you gonna tell me about it or not?"
"I'm sure if they wanted you to know, they would have told you."
"Ah see there old man, caught up in your own lie. They are getting married. Make this easy on yourself, just tell me when and where."
"That's classified and private information."
"Classified and private my ass."
"Such language! Not in front of my family!"
"Look. I didn't come here with intentions of not paying." He pulled out a large sack, dumping out all of the gold coins that were inside, which must've been about 700 or so.
"What's this?"
"Consider it payment for the information."
"So you're going to give me this money as payment for giving you the information?"
"That's right."
The man shoved the coins onto the ground, each one hitting the ground almost simultaneously, "I don't need or want your money so go away and leave us alone. If you want to know about their wedding so badly then ask them yourself."
"I tried to do this the easy way and you choose the hard way? Very well grandpa." He pulled out a shot gun from his back. It was secured within the chains around his waist. He aimed the pistol at the priest.
The priest's eyes widened, "W-what is that?"
"Yeah you of all people wouldn't understand it. None of you would understand it. This thing has still yet to be developed. Good thing I brought it with me."
"W-where are you from? What is that thing anyway? What does it do?"
"Alright I guess it wouldn't hurt." He smirked, looking at the fear that he had instilled within the priest and his family. "This thing is called a shotgun. There are small rounds inside of it called bullets and they'll shred into people's skin and they can end lives with just one bullet that is if the one that possesses and wields it has a good shot. That means that…" he took a quick look around, "…I could kill you, your wife and your two children here with four shots. I'm the best shot there is. Oh and as for where I'm from. It's called the future. Believe it or not I'm not even from your time though I guess you probably guessed that based on how I look and my shotgun. So unless you want ever single member of your family here, including yourself, to be killed, I suggest you hand over that information. And just so you know I'm not bluffing…" he shot the gun, two centimeters above the priest's wife's head. He laughed as he watched her duck and quiver with fear.
"Alright alright I'll give you that information but you have to promise to leave this place here at once after I give you the information."
"Alright I promise, now tell me."
"Their wedding is three days from now, early in the morning."
"What time old man, you're halfway there."
"I-I don't know they haven't told me."
"You lying old prick. Tell me now!"
"I honestly don't know! I swear it!"
"You are lying!" He aimed the gun at the woman again and pulled the trigger. The woman's body quickly falling and collapsing to the ground, motionless.
"Oh my dear god…Saite! Oh Saite dear lord…" He went to move over to her to see if she was alright.
The man smirked, "Now now, you're a priest. Priests shouldn't go around swearing and using the lord's name in vain like that."
"Nor should you be taking the life of another for any reason!"
"Don't order me around pops, I'm not the priest here nor am I on trial. I'm the one in control of this situation so I suggest you do as I say."
"Alright I give. What do you want me to do?"
"Since you don't want to tell me when they're getting married…"
"I don't know honestly!"
"Alright then I'll be staying with you for awhile."
"What?"
"You heard me. I'm staying with you and when they get married, I'll be going with you. You're going to marry them just as you would anyone else and you're going to tell them that I'm there to assist you if they ask, got it?"
"Y-Yes, I understand."
"Good I'm glad that we do old man."
"What do you have against them?"
"Now now, that's for me to know and you to never find out." He smirked and laughed, putting the pistol away for the time being.
The days went by, achingly slow for Asaki, Jin and the mystery man. They all had objectives that they wanted fulfilled, dreams that they wanted to achieve. For Asaki and Jin, it was to find happiness and be together and married as a couple. For the man it was to kill them all for reasons still unknown.
Asaki looked over at Jin and smiled, working nervously in the kitchen as he stood, watching her as she cooked.
"Something wrong Asaki?"
"No nothing I just…"
"Yes?"
"I'm just a little nervous about tomorrow you know, about us getting married and all."
Jin smiled, "So am I. I've never been married before Asaki but I've never known I wanted to be married or wanted to be in love before I met you. I love you Asaki."
"I love you too Jin. Say Jin…"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever thought of what it was that you would like to do after we get married?"
"Well actually I've been thinking about it a lot."
"And?"
"I want us to go away together Asaki. Even if it is just for a little while or even a few days. I just want some time alone with you."
Asaki smiled and nodded, "We could even travel back to the old dojo for memories sake if you wanted to."
Jin nodded slowly, "Yes, I suppose we could do that if you wanted to."
"And we could go by the beach…"
Jin blinked, "The beach?"
Asaki nodded and laughed a little, "My friend Cithara…well let me explain to you about her first. She married a wealthy man as so she can afford to go to random and exotic places by herself or with her husband. Anyway, Cithara said that she went to a beach one time. She said it was very lovely and the water was pretty warm. It's strange to think that natural waters could be as warm and relaxing as she described them."
"Asaki, we will do whatever you want to." He smiled, walking over to her, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He placed soft and gentle kisses along her neck as she chopped some of the vegetables and cooked and flavored some of the fish. She lost her grip of the knife, setting it down, eyes closing, giving into his loving kisses. She moved her head to the side, giving him easier access to her neck. Jin, upon seeing this, moved her hair out of the way and softly sucked on a small portion of her neck. Asaki blushed. Jin was the only man that she ever wanted to do this to her. She stopped him, turning around to face him, wrapping her arms around him as he gently and lightly pushed into her.
"Jin…"
Before anything else could be done, the voices the three boys filled the air. The two quickly separated, Jin leaning against the wall and watching her still, Asaki turning back around and preparing the dinner once again. This would be the last dinner they had together before they were husband and wife.
The following morning, Asaki and Jin gathered their things, going to the place that they were to meet the priest. The priest, along with the man that threatened him, went to the same place. The man climbed into one of the trees and sat there, waiting for his targets to arrive. Jin and Asaki got themselves ready, putting on their garments. Soon they walked hand in hand toward the priest who seemed troubled. They exchanged vows and words of love before a loud sound was heard. The priest and Jin looking over at the fallen Asaki, blood forming from the wound.
Jin knelt down beside her, "A-Asaki! Asaki!" he gently shook her. "Hold on Asaki! I'll get help."
The priest ran off, scared for his life. He also figured that he could do what he could to help him by getting a doctor. As soon as the man turned and ran off, he was shot in the back.
Jin looked at the man and as Asaki, "Dammit! Who…who's doing this? Why!"
The man jumped down, landing a few feet in front of Jin, "I am."
"You? But why? Why would you shoot them?" his eyes narrowing at the man.
"You and that girl cost my father his company, his money and his life."
"Asaki and I have done nothing of the sort."
"Don't be stupid. I'm from the future. You two had a child that used his skills as a damn samurai to destroy my father's company and kill my father."
"A child? The future?"
"That's right. You two don't know about it because it hasn't happened yet. I was lucky enough that my father's prototype to switch time periods worked. That way I could come back to this time and prevent you two from ever falling in love again. That's why I came to Asaki that day and told her that you were dead. I had to get you two to hate each other."
"That was you! You're the one that turned Asaki into the Black Raven!"
"Yeah I guess I kind of did." He smirked, looking at Jin
"Bastard…"
"I thought for sure her becoming an assassin and leaving behind everything she ever learned as a samurai from her sensei or from you would get you to hate each other and kill each other. Little did I know that you two still loved each other deep down and couldn't do it. I had to think of a plan and I had to think of one fast before you two got to trying to make a child. And low and behold I came up with this brilliant idea. Kill the one that will produce the damn heir in the first place."
"You're doing all of this just for one child…one small measly company that was probably doing illegal things anyway."
"What did you say?"
"You heard me. All you care about is yourself." He put a hand on the hilt of his blade.
"You can't win Jin. I'm from the future and have weapons from the future. There's no way your measly blade can defeat my gun powder but go ahead and try if you want to."
"You can be sure I will try and win. I will defeat you once and for all and you will be punished for your sins."
The man smirked, thinking to himself, "If I can't defeat him, at the least he'll waste his time fighting me and won't have time to save the girl."
"I am Quinton."
"Jin."
Jin ran quickly at Quinton. Quinton held up his gun, aiming it at Jin with a smirk, "So it begins."