I have finally finished Chapter Two. Yay! I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai 7 or its characters.


Chapter Two—A Truthful Lie

The next day, Rikichi did not attempt to approach Sanae again. He stayed away from everyone else as best he could, and spent his time staring out into the barren landscape, leaning against the side of the vessel. It was better than trying to examine the barrenness of his heart. He wanted so badly to hold her, to keep her close and whisper how everything was going to be all right. But did he really have a claim on her anymore? She had made it clear enough that she no longer wanted to feel his touch.

"Something wrong?"

He quickly looked over his shoulder to see a smiling orange-haired man who was adjusting his hat with two thickly gloved hands. Eyes closed as he beamed, he looked young, though his relaxed voice indicated his age to be older than his appearance.

"Heihachi-sama," he said, acknowledging the samurai's presence. Rikichi looked back to the wasteland, unwilling to impart his problems on anyone else. "I-it's nothing."

"I don't know if I'd call this nothing," the smiling man chuckled, taking a seat next to the farmer. "It seems to me that you're having trouble with your wife."

Wincing, Rikichi continued to stare out rather than meet the gaze of his perceptive companion. But he could not deny the truth of Heihachi's words. Sanae barely tolerated his presence at times; she went into depressive sulks that no one could snap her out of for hours. And he only seemed to make it worse when he tried to support her.

Eyes lowered, he agreed softly. "Yes. I...I don't know what to do Heihachi-sama." He clutched the railing tightly with his hands, twisting to face Heihachi completely. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Heihachi sheepishly scratched at his cheek, eyes still closed in thought. "Well, I'm not really that good with women. Sorry, I don't think I can help you there."

"Oh..." He looked down at his hands, depression etched in his position.

Looking over with some sympathy, the wood-cutting samurai rubbed his chin. "Actually, if I were you..." he paused, seeing the hope in Rikichi's eyes. He laughed embarrassedly. "If I were you, I would just give up."

"Wha-What?" stammered Rikichi in confusion. "Why would you say that Heihachi-sama?"

"Well maybe that's just me." He used his arms as a prop for his neck. "I told you, I'm not really good with women. I've always been a bit of a jealous type of guy. That's why I stopped having relationships." A sad expression flitted onto his face for a moment, perhaps a moment of honest pain, before his usual smile reformed itself.

The farmer was stunned, uncertain of how to respond to this admission of weakness. "You, great samurai?"

"Yeah. My own fault really. I tried it out a few times, but every time my girl would leave my sight..." His words petered off, leaving the rest to Rikichi's imagination.

The images that popped up in his mind were not very pleasant: arguments, cruel words shot at each other during a lonely dinner, maybe even a few physical fights. And he knew who would be the victor in a real fight. Heihachi always wore a thick jacket that made him look larger, even a bit plump, but Rikichi had seen the wiry, thin body underneath before. Heihachi was skinny, but had plenty of muscle, especially on his arms and upper body—it would be easy for him to smack a woman around and be able to stop any attempted repercussions.

"Did you...?" He didn't know how to put it.

The samurai glanced over, and seemed to understand the question. His weak, almost bitter smile merely confirmed his suspicions. "I hit a woman once." He stared off into the distance, recalling the instance. "Just once, but it was enough to prove to me that I couldn't keep my temper. Stupid, really." The bark of laughter translated his embarrassment and shame, and he gritted his teeth. "She was a great girl. It was all my fault. So...that was that. I stopped having relationships after that."

Wide eyes stared at him in shock, but at the same time, Rikichi felt gratification that this complicated man would share such a poignant, painful part of his past with him. "And is that why you say I should give up?"

He laughed lightly, brushing aside the past pain that his memories had brought him. "Yeah, I guess that is why I'm saying that. Women are hard to understand, and you need to be both caring and strong for them. I'm just not strong enough."

Scratching at one arm absentmindedly, Rikichi wondered if he was strong enough for Sanae. Should he give up, like Heihachi said? He knew the answer to that question though; he knew it in his gut. There was no way he could do any differently without feeling that he had let himself down. The very thought sent a jolt of misery and pain up his throat. So he shook his head at Heihachi. "I'm sorry Heihachi-sama."

He looked at him curiously. "Huh?"

Rikichi got down to his knees and bowed as lowly as possible. "I'm sorry Heihachi-sama, but I must reject your kind advice." Heihachi regarded him with unreadable eyes. "I understand your position, but Sanae means everything to me. She is everything to me. I can't bear to let her go so easily."

He looked up with surprise when he heard a low, soft laughter. Heihachi was laughing quietly, shaking his head before recovering his composure. "Rikichi, you don't need to apologize for not listening to me. We're different people, and what works for me may not work for you. If you love Sanae this much, then I guess...as your friend, I should support you fully." He grinned. "Go get her, Rikichi. I'm sure if you are this adamant about keeping her as your wife, she will come back to you soon."

Rikichi quickly lowered his head again to recomplete his bow. "Thank you for your words, great samurai. Your support is most kind."

"Quit bowing Rikichi." He placed a hand on the farmer's shoulder affectionately. "We're all equal here. Just friends." He rose, glancing over to the piloting area of the ship. "I better go talk to Shichiroji and Kambei now. Got to make sure my little pot is still working."

Rising as well, the reddish-brown haired man blinked slightly at the word "pot", before remembering that that was what Heihachi had nicknamed the machine he had taken from the Nobuseri. "Take care, great samurai."

"Aww, no need for such formality." He waved slightly at Rikichi before walking away. "After this war is over, we should sit down and talk over a bowl of rice, all right? We can talk all about our women troubles then."

Rikichi almost smiled at Heihachi's relaxed words. He would look forward to such a time when the farmers and samurai could finally relax and live in peace. It was a time worth fighting for. And if he persevered with Sanae...maybe she would be at his side at that time. And that was truly worth fighting for.

Gathering himself, he decided to try to speak to Sanae again today. He had seen her this morning, out of her earlier funk and willing to walk around and speak with Komachi and Kirara. That made her much more approachable—but he would have to choose a topic that wouldn't hurt her. 'Reminding her of our past, maybe. The funny parts,' he mused, knowing that they had spent many hours together before the Nobuseri, laughing about the antics that had occurred between them.

He made his way to the center of the ship, where he found Sanae and Kirara sitting on the side, watching Komachi use Kikuchiyo as a horse. The robot samurai did not seem to mind his designation as a steed, and though he complained loudly, he always bucked and neighed convincingly when Komachi asked for it. It was a heartening sight in these difficult times.

Both women looked at him when he walked up, Kirara with polite curiosity and Sanae with calm indifference. "Excuse me, water priestess," he said softly. He paused when a comprehending gleam appeared in her large brown eyes. She put a hand reassuringly on Sanae's arm before excusing herself to check on Kyuzo and if he needed anything.

He felt awkward towering over Sanae like this—him standing and her sitting—so he asked, "May I sit next to you?"

Her response was not encouraging, but not disheartening either. "The seat is open, Rikichi. Do as you like."

Sitting down next to her, he noticed slightly pink marks on her face and arms of healing scratches. His eyes widened with worry, but he suppressed his urge to grab her arms and ask what had happened. It would only drive her further away from him. The silence was palpable, him not knowing how to begin, and her hoping he would not speak.

"Hey, hey squirt! Don't pull my hair so hard; you'll tear it off!" protested the loud, raucous voice of Kikuchiyo as he struggled to keep Komachi from falling off his shoulders while he ran around. The small girl had automatically let go of his hair, which meant she almost lost her balance immediately. His hands quickly grabbed onto her, and he pulled her around so that she was facing his face. "I didn't say let go! You could've fallen, you crazy kid!"

She regarded him with huge, solemn eyes. "I trust you Kiku. You wouldn't let me fall." The words seemed to embarrass the gruff samurai, and he grumbled nonsensically before placing her back on his shoulders.

"Just don't let go this time. We don't want you falling off the ship, all right? Then I'd have no one to order around." He quickly ran off, not necessarily in the direction she pointed, since he couldn't see where her finger was. Both farmers watched them disappear behind a jutting out part of the ship.

"Nu-uh! You'd be a lonely sidekick without me!" were the final words of Komachi that they caught before the wind twisted any more words away.

Now they really were alone.

"How do you feel, Sanae?" he finally asked, not knowing what else to say to begin the conversation.

She smiled weakly at him, but there was no warmth in her response. "I feel as well as I can feel at the moment. Thank you for your concern."

"That is...good." He paused. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk to him. But he knew that he couldn't just leave her by herself. He needed to show her that he would support and wait for her as long as possible.

"Do...do you remember how we first met?" The memory immediately brought a smile to his face, though Sanae merely regarded him with blank eyes.

As if the words were reluctantly dragged out of her, she spoke. "I do."

A laugh broke from his lips, unintended, but unable to be taken back. He regretted it immediately by the way she turned her head away and didn't make eye contact with him. Taking a deep breath as quietly as possible, he continued. "Just remembering it always brings a smile to my face."

Sanae said nothing, but she remembered quite well—it was one of the few memories she had actually kept close when she was in the Capital.

The sun was beginning to lower, almost hiding completely in the green hills of plants, illuminating them with a lustrous red and orange glow. The few clouds in the sky were moving off to the west as a brief, but violent wind picked up. A small girl of twelve watched solemnly with big brown eyes that seemed to take up half her face. She sat quietly on a large box that had been left outside, forgotten with the recent events. A villager had broken his leg while traveling back from the city, and had gotten caught in a ravine. After some men had found him, they had to leave him and summon more villagers to properly get him out without injuring him further. The children and some of the mothers had been left to tend to the rice.

This was her first chance to take a break all day, and she enjoyed the breeze that had slowed to a gentle brush against her dirt-covered skin. A few of the other girls had begged her to sneak off with them and see the poor man who had fallen, but she had declined, preferring to spend some time by herself. In a village where everyone knew everyone, it was hard to find privacy. But it was a good life, and she had few complaints, even if sometimes she was exhausted or punished for bad behavior. 'Of course, parents have their faults. But it isn't their fault for being old, which probably would make anyone silly with anger,' she thought leniently. She had forgiven their transgressions because she loved them—and had decided long ago to be the bigger and better person.

Kicking her feet till they hit against her seat, making a fun little drumming tune, she daydreamed about the day that she was old enough to have real responsibilities that weren't stupid. And maybe she would even find herself a nice husband who would work for her and do what she asked. It was a pleasant and vaguely new thought that had been arising more and more as she noticed the way her own parents took care of each other. The only problem was that boys were still so stupid.

"So immature," she grumbled out loud, remembering the cruel prank one particularly snot-nosed boy of eleven had played on her last month. He had snuck a frog down her back and screwed up a whole four hours worth of basket weaving she had done for her mother as a surprise to show her dutiful nature.

In response, she had righteously snitched to his parents about how he had been very lax with his work—often bullying younger kids to finish his tasks while lazing about. They had responded as she had wished and kept a much closer eye on him since. In truth, Sanae hated tattle-tailing, but that had been a special case.

To ensure that she bore no guilt, she even discussed it with a fifteen year old girl, much wiser and worldly than any stupid boy. She had been reassured that the punishment was just and done with great dignity—there was nothing to be worried about now. No god would punish her for her tattling.

"Excuse me, Sanae?" asked a gentle voice in a rich, generous baritone—a man's voice. She instinctively straightened out of respect for someone older than her, before actually glancing at him beneath lowered eyelashes, hoping he wasn't here to scold her.

Her posture immediately slouched to normal when she realized that it was a mere boy. By the looks of him, he was either her age or a bit older. 'Old enough to change his voice,' she thought to herself scathingly, unwilling to deal with another immature kid. "What?" she asked flatly, unfriendly-like.

He smiled at her, such a kind and forgiving smile, which caused her to reassess him as more mature than she had originally thought. "I just spoke with your mother."

"What!" she exclaimed, less of a question and more of an act of surprise. She quickly ran through the last few days, trying to remember if she had done something wrong. At the same time, she scanned the boy carefully, noting that he was quite a bit taller than her with a scruffy head of red—wait no, brown—hair. He was sort of cute, she decided but his nose was too big for her taste. It didn't jut out, but sort of lay on his face like it was resting. Though his chin was nice; it was squared but somehow appealing. What was his name? She had seen him before, but had never spoken to him. Ree...Reechi?

A peculiar thought occurred to her. What if he was here...and had spoken to her mother...to ask for her hand? What if he was here to ask her out? The idea pleased her, knowing that she could garner the attention of an older boy. But she was also displeased, because he wasn't her kind of boy. He was grimy, covered in dirt like her, and didn't have flowing long locks of blonde hair or beautiful blue eyes. She almost let out an audible sigh, thinking about her dream boy. Blonde-hair, blue-eyed people weren't too common around these parts, which just made them more interesting.

She decided to quickly lead him off, before he asked her out. "I'm sorry. But I...I have a boyfriend!" she said, her words rushing at the end as she suddenly thought of the excuse.

A strange look was directed her way, and the boy smiled again, politely, one hand coming up to mess with one of his small earrings. "Um...all right. But your mother wants you to come and help her with knitting."

Sanae stared at him with dawning understanding; her cheeks flushed bright red. "O...Oh. Right. I'll...go right away." She hopped off her seat, but almost fell in her fluster. The boy immediately reacted, grabbing onto her arm and waist to keep her from landing face first.

"Hey, you should be careful," he warned in his soft voice. "Wouldn't want your boyfriend to hit me, huh?" He blinked with confusion when her face burned even brighter. "I'm Rikichi by the way."

"Sanae," she whispered, before remembering that he already knew that. Before he could say anything else to her, she quickly brushed past him and ran towards the direction of her house, sandals flapping loudly. One hand traced her red cheek—how embarrassing! He hadn't even been interested in her like that. She prayed that next time they spoke she wouldn't put her foot in her mouth so quickly.

"I was so confused when you had told me that you had a boyfriend. All I wanted was to get back to work after finishing my errand." He chuckled with renewed warmth, remembering his first impression of her as a strange but funny girl. Glancing over, he noticed that she was still staring away at her hands, absently caressing one with the other. His voice very gentle, he asked her, "But you didn't really have one did you? It was just a trick to keep me from asking you out."

She didn't respond to his inquiry, mind still lost in the once-was and now-is that had changed so much for her. Being so young and naïve then, she had been charmed over time by Rikichi's manners and quiet voice. But now, she needed more than that. She needed a real man, who could take care of her and love her—who would fight for her. 'Like my Amanushi...' she thought sadly, tears threatening to well up in her eyes even as Rikichi tried to cheer her up. No, Rikichi was far too timid, too weak now. She could see it now.

And this charade needed to end.

Once this was done, she could finally rest and find her way back to her Emperor. When she turned her head to look with a side-glance at her husband, Rikichi immediately went quiet, giving her a moment to speak if she wished to.

"It was funny," she murmured quietly, and a surge of joy erupted in Rikichi's chest at her response.

He struggled to keep himself from leaning closer to her, remembering yesterday's reaction. His voice revealed his eagerness for her to interact further with him. "Y-yes! In hindsight, it was rather funny—" She cut him off when her face suddenly turned away completely from his. He paused in uncertainty, not wishing to alienate her, but wanting so much to speak to her the way they used to.

"Maybe...maybe this time though, it's true."

"Wha...What are you saying, Sanae?" She refused to look at him.

"This time...I'm not lying. I'm sorry Rikichi, but we can't keep lying to ourselves." Before he could stop her or say anything, she stood, avoiding his entreating gaze. "It's over. There's no point in trying to keep doing the impossible. I..." She hesitated for the first time, knowing how much she was hurting him, and hating herself more for it, "I can't be your wife. I'm...a corpse. Just a walking corpse." She bit out the word with more bitterness than even she had expected. "Please, find another woman who is still warm with love and emotion."

"Sanae," he said pleadingly, one hand reaching to touch her arm, which she pulled out of the way with a quick jerk. That rejection stung even further, but he brushed it aside, his voice throbbing with yearning and love, "Sanae, all I want is you."

"We can't always have what we want Rikichi." She closed her eyes in pain, knowing how much she wanted what was impossible. In that, she could almost sympathize with him. Gentling her voice to lessen the cruel plainness of her words, she spoke. "Please, for my sake and yours: find someone else. I am useless to you now."

He stared into the back of her head, as if that alone could bring her to her senses. Why couldn't she see that he wanted her and only her? But she refused to look at him now, fearing that the fragile remains of her would simply shatter completely if she had to do this while looking into such a loving gaze.

"I think I'll go speak with Kirara." Without any other excuse, she quickly walked away to the front of the ship, wishing Rikichi would just let things be. She didn't want to hurt him any further, but she couldn't bear to keep leading him on. Love just wasn't possible anymore—her heart had died with Amanushi.

"Wait! Sanae!"

She winced as his rough hand grasped her forearm. Trying to pull away, she was surprised by the strength of his grip, even as the fingernails of her other hand dug into his flesh. "Rikichi. Please. Let. Go!" she hissed out, each word emphasized by her attempts to free her arm.

"A grave." Her eyes flew to his face, but he was looking away from her, down at the floor. She could see the muscles in his face jump with tension as he spoke. "I will build you a grave."

Hair whipped around her cheeks from the ever-coming wind, and she knew confusion colored her words. "What?" Did he really know her plans? Fear rose in her throat cutting off her breath. Or did this mean that he intended to kill her himself?

"If you would just stay with me Sanae. Just a little longer. I will build you your grave for the Amanushi and for the unborn child." His grip on her arm tightened with emotion so much that she let out a small cry. "Please Sanae! Just stay a little longer. That is all I ask."

'A grave for Amanushi.' The thought struck her, and her struggling ceased completely as her mind caressed that thought lovingly. Maybe...maybe that would be worth living in this hell. Just for a little longer. Even if she had to be with the one man she wanted to avoid. For Amanushi and her lost child, she would do almost anything. "All right."

His breath hitched in his throat and he couldn't stop the hope from entering his voice. "Really?" He gazed at her still lovely face that was turned away from him again, though he could see the sharp nod that gave her agreement. A small smile grew onto his face, but her next words froze his budding relief.

"Don't think that this changes anything. It is over Rikichi." Her gaze was unfocused as she looked in his direction, and he knew she wasn't looking at him, but at her love. "I only wish to ensure my Amanushi's proper passing into the next life. Afterwards, I do not think we will cross paths again." She abruptly pulled her arm from his hand, and rubbed at the reddening area. "It would only cause more pain."

This time he let her walk away, and he sighed heavily, slumping back down into his seat. He had won more time with her—but at what cost? He had no desire to build a grave for that monster but...if it would bring her closer to him... He let his head fall into his hands, elbows resting on his knees. If only things were as simple as they once had been.

Minutes dragged by as he struggled to stop the flurry of thoughts that threatened to overwhelm his senses. Breathing in and out harshly, he struggled to stop the rampage. Oblivious to his surroundings, he did not hear the footsteps as someone came to a stop next to him.

"Hey, how'd it go?" He reluctantly looked up to meet the concerned gaze of Heihachi. The samurai grinned at him sympathetically. "From the looks of you, you could use some rice."

"I think I could use something stronger." He winced at the hoarse, throaty quality of his voice.


End of Chapter 2! I shall try to get on Chapter 3 as soon as possible. Please do not hesitate to review and tell me what you think.