Freedom Samurai
New and old characters, new cities, new sorrow, and a new Hukari. But all have one goal; to kill Rau. SEQUEL TO STRIKE SAMURAI you must read Strike Samurai before reading this story. KiraxLacus AthrunxCagalli ShinnxStellar MwuxMurrue DearkaxMiriallia YzakxRaine NicolxSparrowxMeyrin AndyxAisha
Disclaimer:
Me: Do da de de do da de do…
Me: Me and my cookie dough! I love my chocolate chip cookie dough! All raw and cold with little chocolate chips!
Alex: Sorry for the late update,
Chelsea: Sam had a mental breakdown last Thursday,
Alex: Yea, it wasn't pretty…
Olivia: Funny…
Alex: But not pretty…
Me: Math will burn, it will all burn!
Olivia: Great, here comes the out burst…
ME: MATH! YOU WILL BURN IN HEEELLLL!
Chelsea: Sam…
Chapter 6 Thistle Root
"Kira!" Lacus shouted as her man ran at Dearka with the Freedom raised. He brought the steel down onto Dearka's blade and struck him again, but was blocked again as well. The lavender eyed man took a few steps back and rushed the blonde man only to have his attack blocked once again. Kira continued to send blow after blow to Dearka, who was just barely able to dodge them all.
A plan formed in Kira's head, and he smirked at Dearka and jumped backwards away from him. The tan skinned man stood six feet away from Kira panting heavily. What's he planning? he asked himself and widened his eyes as he recognized Kira's stance. Oh no, he's using the Honoo Doragon stance, or the Flame Dragon. Kira prepared his blade and rushed forward aiming for Dearka's heart, but a figure got in the way shouting, "Douzo shuushi! Please Stop!" a feminine cry called. Kira stopped his attack and looked over to see Lacus had run in front of Dearka. "Lacus, why are you shielding him?" Kira asked, a small hint of furious anger under his voice.
Lacus took a few steps towards the brunette samurai. "Kira, I know you're angry because they kidnapped me, but it was for a good reason. Though they could have just asked for our help," she added with a slightly annoyed glance at Dearka and Yzak, who was now standing next to him. "But they needed my help! A young woman could die if I don't help them!" This seemed to shut Kira up. He slowly placed his sword back into its sheath. Lacus smiled relieved and took a few steps closer to him.
The two looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, and Kira's arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Lacus smiled into his black shirt, when his hot breath tickled her ear, "I promise you Lacus, I'll never let you out of my sight again." The girl in his arms relaxed on his chest as her arms wrapped around his waist, "Thank you Kira," she replied back.
Someone cleared their throat, and the two separated quickly, red as tomatoes. Cagalli stood not too far away and had her hands on her hips. "Tsk tsk you two, you know you can't do that in public. Kira narrowed his eyes at the lecture. "What do you mean in public! We're in the middle of the forest for cryin' out loud!" the man shouted, his little brother instincts kicking in. Annoying defiant little brother instincts that is…"What about what you and Athrun do in public?" he demanded. A heavy blush crossed across her face, and she barked back at the man. "That's different! I'm older than you!" The brunette scoffed, "Yea! TWO YEARS! BIG DEAL!" the two kept shouting insults to each other, while the others just watched with wide eyes. Mizu was standing not far off shaking his head disapprovingly. Lacus watched with a small smile and looked back to see Dearka and Yzak looking as if they were watching two wolves fight each other. Dearka turned to look at Lacus, and she smiled. "They don't usually fight, but when they do, they really," Cagalli jumped onto Kira, pulling him to the ground and trying to get back up, Kira pulled the woman's hair. The brother and sister were rolling around on the grass, all the while keeping up their chorus of insults flying. "Get into it," the pink haired girl finished. Yzak was watching the two fight with an amused smirk on his face. Dearka still had a shocked face, but he stepped closer to Lacus. "Well, will you still be able to help us?" he asked with a hope behind his eyes. The blue eyed girl nodded her head in determination, and spun around to the fighting siblings. Raising her fingers to her mouth, she whistled VERY loudly to catch the attention of the quarrelsome samurai.
Stopping mid insult and blow, the two looked up to her. "Don't you guys think you've gone too far?" Lacus asked them. The brother and sister hopped up and brushed their outfits. Sighing, Lacus looked back to Dearka, "We're ready and willing."
The sun had risen to its highest peak as the band of ten made their way closer to the River of Scor, and even closer to the Plateau in Scor Valley. The group members noticed that as they came closer, the sound of birds left them. No more animals made their scurrying noises. The trees even seemed to become scarcer.
As they walked, Dearka looked over to a dead tree with it's dead, leafless branches looking as though they had come to life. From it hung a long dead skeleton, hanging from a rotting rope. The ragged tatters it wore seemed to be either falling off, or would be consumed by maggots. He shuddered and looked behind him to see Lacus had a serious expression on her face was trying not to look, she also held the five year old in her arms and pressed Kitsu's face to her shoulder. Mizu looked a bit green, and the other three were unaffected by the sight. Yzak too had the willies, but no one would ever be able to tell; He had pulled on his ninja mask once more.
Dearka stopped when he felt a wave of heat blow towards the band. An orange glow filled the area, and he looked many feet ahead of him to see the River of Scor, Dead man's River. It was truly not a river, but a flow of molten magma. The others were amazed by it; it was a river of fire. "Sooo…how do we cross that?" Mizu asked. (I would have let that hang there, but you'd wanna know how they crossed the lava, so instead of going for humor,)
Dearka scanned the area, and pointed to a stone bridge made of a shiny black rock. Lacus recognized it, "It's obsidian isn't it? A form of igneous rock made from cooled magma," (Sorry if that's wrong, I haven't studied rocks in 2 years) Yzak nodded at the girl's knowledge, and the Hukari and ninjas stepped across the bridge warily. Walking farther off to the east, they soon came to a steep decline. Looking out past it, the people widened their eyes at what they saw.
In the valley, they saw large and small streams of magma. There were also pools of the fiery substance. Giant, jagged rocks jutted out of the ground, and no life was anywhere. In the middle of all the danger, was the Plateau of Scor. It looked to be maybe only two thousand feet high, but small trickles of magma could be seen running down the edges. Kira immediately took action. "Lacus, you Cagalli, Athrun, Shinn and Stellar will stay here with Mizu and Kitsu. The assassins and I will scale the plateau," But he was interrupted by many voices.
Cagalli started shouting at her little brother, "No Kira! You're not going, I'll go with them instead," Athrun interrupted her, "No, I should go, or go with Cagalli at least. Kira, you have to make it through this, if there's an accident up their," But her voice sounded more sure than anyone Kira had ever heard. "Kira, I have to go; only I know how to properly cut the herb and seal it without it dieing or leaking any of its poisonous fluids." The group stared at Lacus as if she was crazy, even though she had a point.
Stepping towards her, Kira firmly took the girl by the arms, and looked her dead in the eye. "Lacus, I won't let you put yourself in danger," he said in a deadly tone. She had never heard him use this tone, not even with Rau; she was terrified of this side of Kira. But she kept her gaze level with his. "No Kira, I have to go, and, I won't let you stop me!" Her words shook the group. She was the healer, she was the fragile flower, yet she was still arguing to go on an expedition that Cagalli and Athrun were staying behind on. Kira was shocked; he hadn't expected this reaction from her, but it was her choice, he would just have to protect her. "All right," he said reluctantly. Lacus smiled at him, and looked to Dearka and Yzak. "Let's go." and the small group headed down the treacherous decline towards the Dead man's Valley. Stellar and Shinn had kept silent through out the whole expedition, and were now watching the three men, and the woman they looked to as an older sister walk off, towards danger, towards death. Kitsu had tears streaking down her face; she knew the stakes, the chances. Lacus and Kira may not come back alive.
As they made their solemn march down into the valley, Kira was surprised that Lacus didn't even stumble once. Dearka was a clumsy dunce and had slipped seven times already. Kira watched Lacus's sandaled feet move on the rocky ground, and was amazed to see that she moved her feet in different directions to keep them out of the way of rocks and dead brambles. She still walked in a straight line though, which amazed him more. Lacus saw Kira's face out of the corner of her eyes and smirked to herself. Dancer's feet, he'd never guess…She told herself while suppressing a giggle.
When they reached the bottom of the valley, they saw how far away the plateau really was. Dearka frowned determinedly and set off walking ahead. Yzak followed him and then Kira. Lacus was about to walk right behind him, when she felt a pulsation in the ground, and looking up to where Dearka was about to step, her eyes widened in horror. "Dearka!" she screamed as she ran forward and pulled him back. They both fell, Dearka on top of Lacus, and Kira wasn't too happy about that…Just where Dearka had stepped moments before, the ground began to crack and bright orange light and sparks began to glow, and a mini lava spout formed, shooting ten feet into the air before bubbling back down. The guys looked at Lacus, and she just gave them confused looks. "How'd you know about that spout?" Kira asked kneeling down and pushing Dearka off of his girl roughly and helping her stand. "I sensed the pulse, didn't any of you?" They all gave her a blank stare, and she sighed. "Just follow me, and be silent. I'm sure the ground is sensitive in areas and would break just like that spout if we are too loud." Kira seemed uncertain about letting her go first, but a reassuring glance from his angel told him it would be all right, and he believed her.
Lacus led them in a kooky path around rocks and streams, pools and spouts; it looked as if she could have done this in her sleep. Sometimes she would veer off from their destination, but get back on track soon later. The boys were impressed, and Kira knew something was different about his Lacus, or she wasn't telling him something. That's it! It must be some secret she doesn't want me to find out, I wonder what it is? He thought to himself, being careful the whole while to watch his feet. Yzak was feeling childish, as if he was playing follow the leader or something.
Soon, Lacus stopped four feet away from the Plateau's incline. "We're here." she whispered, and looked back behind her. Dearka realized they were at the edge of the Plateau, and walked up to Lacus. "Now, the climbing begins. Is there any danger in the climb?" he asked to make sure with the Orchid Hukari. Lacus shook her head, "The only danger is a rockslide, eruption, or falling. Otherwise, it's a perfect day to go climbing." she said sarcastically, indicating to the smoke filled sky. "Very funny, now let's get going wench," Yzak barked. Kira's eyes widened as he looked at Yzak with wide, flared eyes. Dearka turned pale, and Yzak held up his hands defensively. "I didn't mean that! I swear I'll never say it again," he whined as Kira's hand crept close to his sword. Lacus grabbed Kira's shoulder. "Don't Kira," and amazingly, he listened. Dearka frowned in Yzak's direction, and started climbing the rocky slope of the Plateau. Yzak soon followed. Kira waited for Lacus to start up, but before she did, she walked close to him. Leaning upwards, she placed her lips on his and he returned the kiss. "That's for good luck Kira, now don't trip," she joked and expertly grasped the rocky outcrop and hoisted herself onto the side of the plateau.
The four made their way steadily up the cliff side, Lacus never missing any loose rock, always grabbing the right one. Kira's eyes were trained on her, just in case she made any slips ups, or grabbed a loose rock. He also took care to not touch the rocks she avoided. But Lacus wasn't the one he should have been worried about. Dearka reached up and grabbed a rock, but as he was about to pull himself up, it came loose and he was too shocked to grab another rock before he fell. Yzak called his name worriedly. The blonde haired klutz knew he was going to die, but then he felt like he was hanging. Looking up, he saw a dark apricot hand gripping his wrist in a vice grip. He looked up farther to see Kira's smirking face and smirked back, the two were practically smirking to each other as if they were friends. Lacus smiled in relief, and Yzak was mumbling things.
After a long time of climbing, Lacus had taken the lead, she stopped to exclaim, "We're almost there! Just a few more feet!" she shouted out, Dearka smiled with hope. I just might be able to save the Princess after all, he said to himself. Lacus reached her hand up as far as it could stretch, and she found no more rock to grab but a horizontal flat surface, that oddly enough felt a bit grassy. She pulled herself up and stood, eyes wide. Kira and the other two joined her, and their mouths too were a gape. The top of the plateau was lush and green, filled with exotic looking flowers, all the same species and colors. The small blooms of the thistle root were small flowers no bigger than your eye. Their petals were also blue with a tanish brown outlining, almost giving them an old or ancient appearance. Yzak took a step forward, but seemed suspicious of the area. For such a dead landscape below, it sure is lively up here…" he mumbled, but Lacus told them to look up. The guys looked up and saw that a circle in the hazy sky was open, showing the beginning rays of the setting sun. "We'll be back to them by night fall," Lacus predicted. They nodded, and Dearka stepped closer to Lacus, "So, how do we get these flowers?" he asked, hoping to hurry with it. Lacus smiled grimly, like this." so saying, she walked to a patch of brightly colored blooms, and kneeling down brought out the dagger Neo had given her. She unsheathed it from the small sheath, and to Kira's horror, she slit her open palm with the steel blade. Her dark red blood covered the blade, and she stared at it with a serious face. Letting her palm hang over the flowers vertically, she watched as her blood dripped from her had into the dirt around the flowers, and also on the petals. She then reached down and used the bloody dagger to cut at the thick stems of the thistle root. Afterwards, she used her bloody hand to reached down and pull the flowers from the last remaining stems it used to cling to the ground. But Lacus was finally able to yank the flowers, but her hand got more cuts and incisions in the process due to the sharp thorns on the woody stems.
Kira rushed to Lacus and kneeled down to her, "Lacus! What are you doing?" he demanded from her angrily, but also a worry hidden behind his eyes. She looked over to him. "It's the only way Kira, it's how you remove the flowers from the ground with out their poisonous fluids to leak out. A blood sacrifice I guess," she replied while placing the flowers in a cloth, folding it and placing it in a pouch kept in her waistband. She repeated this process three more time much to Kira's anger, and her hand looked mutilated, with the blood seeping through the thin fabric of her torn kimono bandage. She didn't have anything else to use to wrap her hand so she had ripped some of the cloth from the bottom of her skirt. Both hands she had used, and Kira was worried how she would get down off of the plateau with numb hands. But as they were about to start climbing down, a rumbling pulsation that anyone within fifty meters of the plateau could feel. The ground shook violently, and Lacus tripped from not paying attention, falling to her knees in the thorny flowers, her hands receiving new cuts through the bandage.
As her blood seeped into the ground, she noticed a small blue light shimmer inside of it, before disappearing. "What was that-?" she asked herself, when all of a sudden, she felt a pulsation coming straight toward her. In front of her maybe a foot away, large cracks revealing bright orange light issued from the ground. Then, as Kira was bout to grab her, the spouts blew upwards, like a wall, blocking the guys away from Lacus. It scared them all even more when the lava bursts wouldn't stop and settle. To make matters even worse, Lacus saw visible cracks in the rocks appear in front of the guys. "Kira!" she shouted, but it was too late, the rock crumbled away and they began falling to their doom 2,000 feet below them, possibly in a lava pit. "KIRA!" Lacus shouted from behind the wall of fire.
Super sorry for the late update people, I am really sorry! But I had writer's block for this chapter, I had a mental breakdown last Thursday, I'm lost in math, and I'm pissed cause no one has reviewed Sarrowen! My new Inuyasha story! I know it sucks, but a simple review would be nice! If anyone watches Inuyasha, and doesn't think Sesshomaru is an ass hole and deserves to die, please read Sarrowen, I won't pull some crazy stunt like I did with White Lilies, but still, a small, simple even review would be nice. I'm working on other story chapter I haven't updated in a while too, so I may even update all of em soon, especially cause I get out on Christmas break next Friday! WHOO HO!
POMH!
Love Sam