A/N: Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
WARNING: OOC, LANGUAGE, WAFF
Chapter 8: Parting
In the dead of the night, Rikimaru felt for Ayame on the other side of the bed, but failed to feel her. Lazily, he opened his eyes. His eyes searched the room and rested when he saw her standing by the opened window, staring at the moon, with a white sheet wrapped around her petite body. He grabbed one of his loose robes and put in on himself.
He quietly walked towards her and encircled her waist with his arms, "Hi…what are you thinking of?" Ayame smiled and held his hands by her waist, "Nothing much…just being thankful I suppose…" Rikimaru raised an eyebrow, "For what?"
Ayame rested her back against him and sighed, "For you…for having you…I just can't imagine life without you Rikimaru…"
She tore her eyes from the moon, faced Rikimaru and searched his eyes, "I took you for granted Rikimaru…all those times…those eight years, since master and Tatsumaru died…I never really thought that I could ever lose you. And then…even if for a while, I did. And I never want that to happen, ever again." Rikimaru embraced her tightly and ran his slender fingers through her silky raven black hair, "I would never leave you Ayame."
Ayame pulled away from him and stared into his eyes, "I love you…" He smiled and kissed her forehead, "I love you too…"
Ayame quirked an eyebrow, "Now that we're back together, I want to get a straight answer from you." Rikimaru gave her a puzzled look, "Concerning what?" Ayame began to blush, "Well…you did say that the only reason you came to rescue me was because Lord Gohda wanted you to…is that really the only reason?"
Rikimaru's lips curved up, a teasing smile dancing upon his lips, "What do you think Ayame? Do you think that's true?"
Ayame bit her lip, "I don't know! You tell me!"
"If you must know, then yes. That is the only reason."
Ayame frowned and pulled away from him rather roughly, "Hmph! That's what I figured!" she yelled. Rikimaru chuckled and Ayame snarled, "What's so funny?" Rikimaru looked at her face, fuming with rage, "Being a ninja, I suspected that you are not one to be easily deceived and swayed…I guess I was wrong."
Ayame clenched her fists, "What did you say!"
Rikimaru sighed, now he did it. Ayame looked like she is about to kill. Rikimaru walked towards her but she began to back away from him, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Come on Ayame…this is senseless."
"Senseless? Senseless! How would you feel if your lover suddenly told you that the act she did wasn't out of love but out of duty! Wouldn't you feel hurt? Angry? Insulted!" she screeched.
Rikimaru closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, "You are very noisy. Do you know that?"
Ayame sent him a death glare and crossed her arms, "I don't care if I'm noisy!" she yelled. Rikimaru sighed again, "Look…what I said was true. I came for you because I was ordered to. But, I also did it because I wanted to. Because I love you. I would've still saved you even if Lord Gohda told me not to…"
Ayame faced him once again, her facial features softening momentarily before a skeptic look took over, "Really?"
Rikimaru walked up to her and took her hand in his, "You should know by now that I'll do anything for you…that's how much you mean to me…" Ayame enjoyed the attention she was getting. But she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.
And so, with a tired and sore body, she slowly make way for his bed and laid on her side, turning her back on Rikimaru. Rikimaru followed her seconds later and put his arm on her waist, "O-yasumi nasai Ayame…" he whispered to her ear. Ayame merely snorted and closed her eyes.
'And just when I thought things were getting better…' Rikimaru thought.
xxxxx
Ayame woke up at the feeling of the warm rays of the sun on her face. She softly rubbed her eyes and attempted to hop out of bed when she felt an arm being draped tightly on her waist. She smiled as she laid her eyes on Rikimaru. He was still asleep.
He looked so angelic, so innocent…so harmless. But he was quite the opposite. Both of them were. Angelic maybe, but innocent and harmless? Never. Both had seen life's harsh realities, countless men and women had fallen from their hands and blades.
Ayame snapped back to reality as she heard him grunt in his sleep. She continued to stare when he whispered, "Staring is rude you know…"
Ayame smacked Rikimaru in the arm, "How long have you been awake?"
Rikimaru grinned, "Long enough."
Ayame, quickly grabbing the white sheet to cover her body, jumped out of bed and headed straight for the bath house.
"Hey Rikimaru!"
Rikimaru's head shot up as he heard her, "What is it?"
"Want to join me?" she asked mischievously. He blinked before giving her one of his boyish smiles.
xxxxx
Kasumi yawned as she stretched her arms. Kasumi's good mood faded as she remembered yesterday's news. Ayame was back. Rikimaru had succeeded in rescuing her.
As she scrubbed her body within the bath house, she only thought of him. Her lips curved up to a smile. 'I want to see how he is doing…'
After she had bathed, she put on her azure gi and set her hair into a proper braid. She smiled as she looked at her reflection on the mirror.
Her heart pounded as she neared his home. She stood in front of it, being momentarily paralyzed with nervousness. She finally nodded and knocked on his door.
Kasumi stifled a gasp as she saw the person who answered his door. "Kasumi? What're you doing here?" Ayame asked suspiciously.
Kasumi racked her brains for a response, "Erm…I came by your house as soon as I can when I heard you were back…but you weren't there so I came here, in hopes of finding you…" Ayame raised an eyebrow, not buying it entirely but was thrown back to reality as she heard Rikimaru speak from behind her, "Who's at the door Ayame?"
Ayame turned her head to face him, "Its Kasumi Riki. She's here to see me."
'Riki?' Within Kasumi's innocent façade, she fumed.
Ayame stepped out of the house and faced Kasumi, "Well…I…I'm back."
Kasumi folded her arms, "So, I'm guessing that you two have gotten back together?"
Ayame smiled, "Yeah…It seems so."
Kasumi nodded, mentally shouting at herself to hold back any tear that she might cry. She managed a tight smile and pointed to the other side of the village, "Well, I suppose you two will want to catch up on things. I'll see you later Ayame."
Ayame nodded and Kasumi began walking away. As she took more steps farther away, a voice in her head screamed at her, 'Now do you see why we have to get rid of her? She ruined everything!'
Kasumi stopped walking and put her hands on either side of her head, 'Who or what are you?'
The voice within her head laughed, 'What a silly question! I am you!'
Kasumi's hands trembled, 'You're not me! I am nothing like you! I would never sacrifice my friendship for my worldly desires!'
'That's where you're wrong…You already had…' With those words, the voice disappeared and Kasumi's vision once again focused, "What's wrong with me?"
xxxxx
Night had fallen. Kasumi had spent the last few hours of what she was to do. She had seen how happy Rikimaru and Ayame had been…And her problem with herself would only cause them harm.
She sighed as she really thought about it. There was only one thing to do. Her cheeks drooped as she weighed the consequences of the actions that she was to undertake.
If she left the village and Lord Godha's services, she would be branded as a nukenin…A runaway ninja…A traitor, in other words…
She sighed; the shame was too much to bear, she knew, but she had no choice.
Perhaps, she would see Ayame again one day…with her family…
But now, Kasumi deemed that there was no other choice…
She knew what she wanted and it was something that she could never have. And rather than drive herself crazy within their presence, she'd rather find a better life somewhere else.
Shame or no shame, it was better than living one's life in continuous pain and anguish. And what of the stranger's offer?
No.
She'd never do that.
Right…?
'Of course not…Ayame is like a sister to me…' she thought, 'I…cannot…'
Even if she heard voices in her head screaming at her to do so, she would never do it. Never.
She nodded as she prepared her small pack of her belongings. There was no going back.
A few moments later, she found herself blending with the shadows, looking at her quaint little house one last time, "Farewell."
"Be happy Ayame…"
And with that, she had vanished with a swirl of leaves…within the gentle breeze…
Unbeknownst to her, a figure had been lurking, watching her.
"You would succumb in the end…You'll see…This little escapade of yours would not save you…" the deep male voice spoke as he too disappeared within the leaves.
xxxxx
Ayame blinked as she knocked within Kasumi's door. She had not answered. She was nowhere to be found. She had asked around about her strange friend's whereabouts but none had seen her auburn-haired friend.
She frowned as she returned within her own home.
Where could she be?
She stiffened as she felt a presence. She relaxed as she realized that it was a familiar one.
"Rikimaru." she spoke flatly, her emotions for the aforesaid man well concealed.
The man smiled within his soul. He really shouldn't outwardly anyway.
"Something is amiss. What is it?" he stoically asked.
She turned to him with a frown, her eyebrows furrowed, "Kasumi is gone."
"…"
Rikimaru wasn't all that surprised. There was no much strife within the girl's eyes the last time their eyes had met. And it would seem that she had concealed it effectively from Ayame…
"She needs to find her own path Ayame." was all that he said.
Ayame looked within Rikimaru's deep gray eyes and nodded, understanding completely.
'Why didn't she say anything…?' she asked within. But then, she supposed she would understand. As shinobi, secrets weren't uncommon. Pride was another factor…
She nodded, "I hope that she finds what she's looking for."
There was a part of her that wanted to see Kasumi again in the near future…or whenever it may be…But there was another part of her…that didn't. She knew how fate dealt hands to people; some would have incredible luck while others would have equally incredible misfortune.
It just so happened that shinobi usually become unfortunate…
Should there come a time when she and Kasumi would cross paths, she knew that it wouldn't be as friends…rather, as enemies.
The girl was a friend of hers…She did not want the other to fall by her blades. That would be…wrong. And so, for that, she wished Kasumi all the luck in the world. And wished with all of her heart that they never meet again.
Ayame smiled a bit at Rikimaru, lowering her guard for the moment. He walked over to her and held her hand, "No confusion this time?"
She shook her head, "No…"
She tiptoed and there brought his mask down, revealing his handsome face to her once more. The two leaned in.
They kissed tenderly, lovingly, no longer afraid of the consequences of their actions…
Because there were none.
Lord Gohda had told them to follow their heart…And they did just that.
Perhaps there was hope after all…They were ninja. They were bound by the shackles of honor, duty…
They were bound to the shadows.
They were to live in the shadows and to die in the shadows.
But now, even they were still bound by such a covenant…by such a code, an addendum had been made within the covenant.
To be faithful in love…
To love…
Now, even if they were still bound…they were no longer alone. Their hearts had been unified at last…And they knew that from this moment on, their paths in life would only be all the more perilous…
But neither cared.
They would brave all dangers…together.
xxxxx
FIN
