Author's Note: Chapter three already, fast wasn't it. I hope this story is as good as Last Time of My Life. I am really trying to make this story as best as I possibly can, but how am I supposed to know if anyone besides Sakura02 really likes this story. Darn you Sakura02 and your blackmail, are you going to blackmail me with the rest of your story. I dedicate this chapter to Sakura02 whose support keeps me going throughout the hardest times of writing Suyuan. Without further ado, here is chapter three.

Disclaimers:

I don't own Peacemaker Kurogane or any of its characters. I do, however, own Amaterasu, her father and mother, and any other characters I may come up with. Comments of the positive and negative variety are accepted and needed to better the story to live up to your expectations.

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She woke to intense pain, which was nothing new to her considering what her father subjected to daily. She heard footsteps outside the door causing panic and fear to take hold of her. Once the sound of footsteps faded into the distance, she looked around at the room she was in. The room was totally unfamiliar to her and that frightened her. She could not even begin to guess what her father had in store for her this time. The familiar weight of the manacle around her ankle was strangely absent and hearing no sounds from outside the room she fled, the pain in her ankle like a knife being pushed deeper with each step.

She quietly shut the door and took a few steps forward before tumbling off of the raised deck and falling to the muddy ground. The impact jarred her left wrist causing her to gasp in pain. She lay there letting the rain soak through to her skin, silently hoping that no one had heard her. After a few minutes of silence and no evidence of approaching noise, she slowly got to her feet and limped away from the building.

As she walked, she felt both hot and cold at the same time. Things blurred in front of her eyes causing her to collapse against a building. She managed to crawl into the space behind the building before she fell prey to a severe coughing fit. Her chest burned and ached after she had stopped coughing and looked down in horror to see little droplets of red staining the pale skin of her palm. Blood pounded in her ears and black crept into the edges of her vision as she fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.

She returned to consciousness to hear an animal near her and feel it licking her face. She couldn't summon the strength to open her eyes when she felt herself being moved and a sensation of warmth that hadn't been there before. She curled her body towards the warmth hoping it would lessen the cold that ran through her body and soul. A familiar voice calmed the panic that rose up inside her and she surrendered herself to the darkness for a second time.

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Soji once again sat by Amaterasu's side, this time not leaving until she woke. He could understand how she felt, being alone in a strange new place after years of torment. The kitten hadn't left her side either and was now joined by two others. All of the kittens were leopard cats, a rarity in this part of Japan. The kittens were resting in various places around her body, with one in the open palm or her right hand. Soji wiped her forehead with a cool damp cloth and prayed that her fever would go down. Matsumoto was trying to determine what caused both the chills and fever, but was so far unsuccessful. One of the kittens meowed causing him to look down into sapphire eyes full of confusion and fear.

"Where am I" she asked softly staring past Soji to the ceiling. The kitten that was on her hand had woken up and was now curled up on her stomach, its brown eyes staring back at her. She reached her unbandaged hand up to scratch the kitten's head.

"You're safe" Soji replied placing his hand over hers, causing the kitten to meow in protest to the pressure on its head. "You're at Shinsengumi headquarters".

"I looked all over for you" Amaterasu said on the brink of tears "for four years I was so lost and now I've finally found you. I've been running for so long and I don't think I know how to stop".

Soji felt both sadness and confusion at the same time "You spent four years searching for me. Why?"

"Because I feel safe with you" she said firmly, not willing or wanting to elaborate further.

"Amaterasu" Soji implored "please tell me what happened. If you try to trap your past inside you, it will destroy you".

"Just hold me" she whispered as she struggled to sit up and Soji pulled Amaterasu into his lap. The kittens crawled up on her legs and settled crawled up on her legs and settled on top of the blanket Soji had pulled over her lower half. She exhaled a deep breath before beginning to speak.

'After you left, my father began forcing me to learn swordsmanship. I was grateful because I knew that you were also training, but…" she trailed off as the memories that she had buried deep within her mind began to resurface. Soji gave her a small hug, silently reassuring her before she continued. "He also made me learn military history and war tactics". She laid her head on Soji's shoulder, her had gripping his like a lifeline that kept her memories and emotions from consuming her.

"He made me train and study until my hands bled and I didn't have the strength to stand. The frequent times he drank himself into unconsciousness, I was able to sleep for a few hours and eat a little food. He would beat me with whatever he could get his hands on whenever he wanted to. He shouted at me all the time, he said that I was weak, that he was ashamed that I was his daughter, and that I killed my mother" she stopped speaking for a moment as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"When I was twelve, my father moved me into the basement and chained me as though I was an animal. He beat me more severely and more frequently, with no food or rest except for when he beat me until I was unconscious which happened most of the time. Each night I dreamed of freedom and of being with you Soji, my dearest and only friend. On night when my father had passed out from drinking too much I used a rock to break the manacle and escaped with my mother's sword, my most precious treasure". She buried her head in Soji's chest and wept, the tears washing away the pain that had been growing within her for seventeen years. Soji enveloped her in a hug, tears silently flowing from his eyes as well.

After a few minutes, Amaterasu slowly pulled away and looked into Soji's eyes. "I'm really sleepy Soji" she said and Soji noticed that she was struggling to keep her eyes open and he could fell the coldness of her body.

"It's alright, you rest now" he said as he laid her down on the futon after shooing the kittens off her lap. He pulled three additional blankets over the one that already covered Amaterasu's body. "I promise I'll be here when you wake up". She whispered her thanks before closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep, the kittens taking various positions around her body as though they were saying they would protect Amaterasu too. Soji looked to his side and reached down to pick up her mother's sword and remove it from its scabbard.

He ran his fingers over the kanji etched into the metal on one side of the blade. "That which illuminates heaven" he said turning to smile down at the sleeping Amaterasu "just like you".

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That is chapter three, the longest chapter yet. I really hope everyone enjoyed it. Did anyone catch my cleverness with what is engraved on the sword. Anyone who does (without using the internet) will get a special reward. Don't you be saying anything Sakura02 because I know that you know. Chapter four is in progress, but I am running out of ideas. Suggestions are being taken on what should happen next. I tried to stick to the timeline of Amaterasu's past set forth in chapter four of Last Time of My Life, hope it worked out right. Sakura02, your story may have two more chapters than mine but I am on you like butter on noodles. I have my eyes on you and am catching up to you and intend to win the chapter posting race. I am aware that there is no race but the imagined competition should light a fire under both of our butts.

Random factoid: I also have four blankets on my bed. For some reason I am super cold all the time.

Please review, I want your feedback. There are smores being made right now for the reviewers, I know you want a smore.