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Chapter 14 – Awakened

They trusted him. He trusted him. Why else would Ryu leave Mishu alone with an unconscious Ayane and a defenseless Aileen? There could be no other reason. He accomplished his first goal. Getting them to trust him. Now all he had to do was get him to accomplish his next goal. Find the Dokugumo-Ureeru Tsurugi before Gamja did. And the only way to do that was to get Ryu to go to the Migu Village.

Ayane slept all night. Steady breathing, which was good. She turned every once in awhile, but not too frantic to warn him she was having nightmares. Good. It also told him that Ryu didn't knock her into a coma. Which would be real bad. They would need Ayane's help. Gamja will pull out all the stops to get his hands on the sword to take back to their leader. Mishu knew he would need all the useful help he could get. Though every time he looked at Aileen, he knew that her help would only be a distraction. There had to be a way to send her back. He couldn't let her interfere. This was his only chance. His last chance to make things right. If he failed now, his 20 years of work would have been a complete waste.

Mishu gave a long sigh and contemplated on his thoughts. He didn't dislike Aileen. He found her charming and rather nice to be around with. But he couldn't stand for the interference or distraction of a useless ninja. Not now. Not when he's so close. He sat next to Ayane all night. Instead of sleeping, he tended to her wounds inflicted in the battle and assured that she stayed comfortable throughout the night. Now he was exhausted. Ryu hadn't returned and Aileen lay asleep not too far from where he sat. They had to get moving and Ryu was wrapped in his emotions of almost killing Ayane.

Mishu looked at Ayane. Aileen's right. She is beautiful.

What am I thinking? He pushed the thought away and turned his eyes away from the unconscious body. This was Aileen's fault. She accused him of having emotions for Ayane. He idiotically agreed to it without completely thinking it through.

Was I really that obvious? Even he didn't know that he had feelings for the purple hair kunoichi until Aileen brought it out into the open. He looked back at Ayane. Well, if it is true, he cannot walk down that same path again. He cannot go through the hurt of losing a loved one again.

"Let's just get this mission over with so we can go our separate ways." He whispered to himself as if Ayane could hear him.

That's when she stirred. She was waking up. Finally. Wait, did she hear him?

She turned to where she now faced him, her eyes still closed, but now they slowly began to open. Suddenly, they popped open in shock.

"What are you doing here!" She yelped gripping the sheets tightly over her body.

"It's okay. Ryu asked me to watch over you." He noticed how cautious she was acting. She was frightened. An emotion he would never expect to see the cocky ninja express. Dokon got to her. He knew it. "You're back in your lodge."

"Where's Ryu? What happened last night? What happened to me?" She was becoming hysterical. Dokon raped her. These were the beginning of the aftereffects.

Aileen awoke from Ayane's outburst and saw her companion curled in the bed gripping the sheets tightly against her body. "What's going on?"

Mishu looked at her. "She just woke up." He didn't know what else to say. He wanted to tell Aileen what was happening with Ayane, but he didn't want to frighten her as well. Frankly, he wasn't too sure how Ryu would react to the news either.

Tears began soaking Ayane's face and she never took her eyes off of Mishu. Aileen rushed over to Ayane's bed and clutched the kunoichi into her arms. Finally, Ayane broke the frightened stare from Mishu and released her cries onto Aileen.

Aileen looked at Mishu with a frightening look as horrific as Ayane's. "Oh my goodness, she's shaking."

And she was right. Ayane was shaking in fright, humiliation, and embarrassment. Mishu wasn't sure exactly how Dokon tricked her, but he knew he did something far obscene to force Ayane to become a willing host.

"What really happened last night?" Aileen asked him still holding tight of Ayane. Ayane's fearful eyes was locked onto Mishu. Aileen knew of the fight, she knew a ghost possessed Ayane's body to where Ryu was forced to knock her unconscious almost killing her, but she didn't know anymore than that. He didn't know if that information should be revealed.

"I…" He wanted so much to admit, but even now his own emotions were getting involved. He was now feeling remorse for Ayane's situation. No, Mishu. No emotions. He gathered himself. "I need to find Ryu."

"Wait, what happened?" Aileen asked again.

But Mishu ignored her and quickly headed out of the room. When he closed the door, he leaned against it. Looking to the sky hoping the wind would dry the small tears hiding in his ducts. He could still hear Ayane crying and practically screaming at Aileen. "What happened! What did he do to me!"

She continued her rampage and all Mishu could do was slide his body down the door until he was sitting. His fist smashed the dirt ground in anger, still listening to the cries of Ayane.

Damn you Dokon. I will kill you myself for hurting her.

He told them he was going to go after Ryu. But he couldn't move. It was like he was forcing himself to listen to Ayane's muffled cries through the door that blocked him from looking at her. Then he realized. A delay. This was only going to cause a delay in the mission. There was no time for delays and this was probably going to change the outcome of this mission greatly.

"Mishu?" Mishu darted his eyes forward to the unknown voice. It was Ryu. "What's wrong?"

Mishu quickly stood. "It's about Ayane."

Ryu asked no questions when he himself heard Ayane's cries. Without another word, he quickly burst through the doors to see Ayane still in Aileen's arms, still crying her eyes out.

Ryu could only stare in pure shock at the sight. There were very few times he'd seen Ayane in this state and most times dealt with deep family issues he never discussed with her for her own security.

Mishu whispered in his ear. "He raped her."

Ryu looked back at Mishu with the same wide-eye shock and saw Mishu's face filled with remorse and emotional pain. He wanted to ask questions, but he knew he couldn't for the same reason Mishu had to whisper his words. Her soul was raped, Ayane was too fragile right now, whether if she knew what happened to her or if she didn't.

Ryu slowly walked to Ayane and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. Ayane looked up and saw him standing and she immediately jumped into his arms and continued her crying. "Ryu, what happened? What did he do to me?" But Ryu couldn't answer the question. At least, not now.

Suddenly, Mishu felt singled out. Ayane allowed the comfort from Aileen and Ryu, but she dismissed him. Mishu wasn't jealous, but he felt that sting when he noticed that he alone stood from the group, holding and consoling their friend. The same sting when he lost his last love.

This was a waste. He told himself and turned to make his leave.

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He stood outside of the door again, wanting to stay and wanting to leave. He couldn't make up his mind. All he needed was his sword that was firmly strapped to his back, so why wasn't he moving?

I know, why. He answered himself and looked back at the door. Goodbye, Ayane.

He began to head back to the forest. Shadow's Temptation. Maybe if he begged for Gamja's mercy, they would let him live. But he knew he couldn't stay here. His mission was either postponed until further notice or suspended indefinitely. Last night, Ryu said 'I won' to Dokon. But it was the ghost who truly made the effect.

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