I am so pissed, I had this chapter finished when I was still in Moorcroft, but my stupid sister deleted it from my USB drive. I am so mad . because of that, I have to make you guys wait. I'm

sorry.

I would like to give a thank you shout out to jcfighter and La Mariposa for their wonderful reviews. I have never felt so heart warmed at writing on. Thanks you two X/D

--

The night air was cold and still. Ryu held firmly on to Kasumi's wrist, but for some unknown reason she refused to turn around and face him.

"Let me go"She asked. Her voice shook, and she sounded like she was on the virge of crying.

" so you heard."

"I heard Everything.."

"Kasumi Listen to me-" Ry started.

"No I won't! I don't know why I didn't see it, Your being used by Hayate and I am being used by you!" She yelled. Ryu could barely see the tears treaming down the side of her face.

"Kasumi just-"

"Let go of me! I don't want to look at you anymore!"

Ryu didn't know why but those words forced him to let go of her wrist. Without even turning around, she ran deep into the darkness

She ran as far as the road before stopping to catch her breath. The tears on her chilled her cheek against the wind. Her thoughts were just rushing throiugh her head. She longed for the comfort of his gaze. But she felt scared, and insecure about everything that she desired. "I have to find. Lei Fang." She thought to herself. No matter what happened next, Kasumi knew she would have to start there. Getting Lei Fang to the Hayabusa village safely."Hayabusa...". She shook the name out of her head before taking the first step.

Ryu wandered through the forest. Kasumi's last words to him echoed in his mind. " I hope she's okay." He thought to himself. He wanted to see her, and make things strait. He wante to hold her hand, stroke her hair and tell her everything was going to be okay.

"Jan Lee, we need to get moving." Ryu said. Like a shadow , Jan Lee emerged from the darkness of the wood.

"Where to?"

"The Hayabusa village. Lei Fang will be there."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Kasumi would have one to Muramasa, and I told him to give them directions, if not guide them to my home. That's probably the only place where they'll be safe."

"If you say so."

"I'm sorry if I got you involved."

"If you say so." Jan Lee replied with a smirk.

Kasumi caught up with the two easily. Lei Fang looked worried when she saw Kasumi's condition.

"Did something happen?"

"N-no. Ryu said that he would meet us at the Hayabusa village so you can get back with Jan Lee."

"Okay. We should get moving then." Lei Fang urged. She took a step to Muramasa.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Anytime you are."

The three set off with Kasumi trailing behind. Even it looked like she was enjoying the scenery, she was lost in the whirlpool of her own mind. "I hope he's okay." She thought to herself. Thinking about him more and more, Kasumi realized that she had no right to be upset with him without listening to him. The guilt rose up to her and stuck to her mind. The feeling of his hand against her cheek, the sound of her voice. Somehow , as she recollected those wonderful sensations, at those events, her shape was replaced with a twisted form of one she recognized. The sound of her own voicec was replaced by the cold voice of someone telling her "Why should you care? you abandoned your village" Only this time, it said his name.

"Ryu". A rush came at her. An unpleasant one. The strange eyes eyes pierced at her own. And his. The feeling of his warmth was sapped away from her skin. Instead, she felt pain.

"Ryu". Her head span the images into a haze of lavender. The scent of perfume lingered around her, drenching the fresh air in an ugly stench. One she was all to familiar with."Ayane..."

"Ryu." Kasumi felt her knees collapse beneath her. She choked on the lump building up in her own throat. As she fell , she tried her best to keep the contents of her stomach down, but the stench or the lavender perfume was to sickening and the soil was soon defiled by her vomit.

"Kasumi! Are you okay?!" Lei Fang said. She ran to Kasumi and put her arm over her shoulder and helped her to her feet. Muramasa turned back to aid them in whatever way her could.

"I shouldn't have said that to him. That was awful. What an awful thing to say." Kasumi whispered. Tears were once again running down her cheek.

" What? What happened?"

"I told him I didn't want to see him again. but-but that's n-not true. I want him here. I need him here."

Lei Fang didn't know what to say, so she desperately looked at Muramasa for help. They sat Kasumi down and the old man fished a cantine from his pack.

"My dear, everything is going to be okay. We'll get to the village safely and you'll see Ryu again. Everything is going to be okay." He said cracking a gentle smile so heart warming that Kasumi couldn't help but smile too.

"Thank you."

"I'll see him again...and tell him how I really feel."

-

ugh so hard to type this without stopping, Especially when there is a new episode of Law and order : SVU on . I overcame that and got it done, now toss something more challenging and I guaruntee that I can type a chapter through that too. XD

Lots of love as always,

LoMXD