A/N: okay guy this is the last chapter of Touch down Okinawa which mean what you've long waited for is up next! You've got it Nevermind rule, Alright so a lot is going to be going down for me in the next couple of weeks and I do owe you guys an explanation and some info. First things first I'm going to put Nevermind rules up TOMORROW. Further details will be explained after you enjoy this last chapter so enjoy okays? ^.^

The Tragic Truth

"How's your leg?"

Umeki looked away from the lovely sea view before her and to her left. Hayato stood with his hands in his pockets staring down at her. The two of them hadn't said much to one another after Yankumi had found them late last night but it seem silently agreed that something unnatural had happen to them in the mountains last night but the strange was this morning… neither of them could recall exactly what had happen to them. It was like grabbing at water when they tried to recall the events until they wondered if it had just been some weird dream. Umeki knew better though and she knew Hayato did as well, they had proof that they needed: Hayato still had the Takoyaki from that man's stand even though the stand and the old man who worked at it had vanished and no locals could recall there ever being one, and then of course there was Umeki's injury. She glanced down at her leg tightly wrapped up with a bandage.

"Its fine" she answered looking back at him as he lowered himself into the seat beside her "It hurt a little to walk but other than that I'm okay"

"Maybe I should carry you home"

"Don't joke around like that" Umeki shot at him sharply glaring at him but Hayato, as always, just laughed at her before the two fell into silence.

"I remember something…" Umeki spoke up quietly after sitting in silence for what felt like a long while. Hayato looked at her but said nothing allowing her to continue. She stared out at the waves crashing against the ferry that would take them home. "I remember that I was by myself in the mountains and there was this lady who came and kept me company…. At first I thought she was an old lady…she looked like one when I first looked" Umeki chuckled to herself; she could recall feeling surprised that this lady hadn't been offended by being called old. "She told me a story…"

From her fuzzy memory Umeki recalled sitting on the ground with only the light of her lantern and the lantern of this woman's. The woman's face was a blur in Umeki's memory and she laughed lightly as Umeki recalled herself telling the woman that she gave off the appearance of being elderly at first sight.

"I believe your boyfriend thought I was an old woman as well" she responded "He called me Oba-chan when I first met him"

"You've meet Hayato?" inquired Umeki and the woman nodded

"At Shuri Castle. I gave him an incense box…a little green one, have you seen it?" Umeki knew the box she spoke of, it was the very one Hayato had taken from her with the promise of giving it back to her when he came back with help and she told this to the woman. Even though she couldn't see the woman's face through the blur Umeki was sure there was a look of satisfaction as if she had planned for this to happen.

"Shall I tell you a story while we wait?" she ask, Umeki nodded. She'd do just about anything to keep from worrying about Hayato getting hurt out there. The woman settled herself on the ground beside Umeki. "A long, long time ago a princess lived in Shuri castle as I am sure you have heard since you have been here. It is true that she fell in love with her body guard, a fine young samurai, but there it a general misunderstanding these days as to their fates"

"You mean that the samurai died in war and the princess died waiting for him?" Umeki raised an eyebrow at this and the woman nodded. So it was true what Hyuuga said, the princess really did go mad and slaughter everyone. Umeki couldn't help herself; she scooted away from this woman who looked so much like ancient royalty. The woman chuckled easily noticing Umeki's movement.

"She did not go mad either" she said easing Umeki's nerve just a bit "no, no. She was to marry a prince from the mainland, a man of great social standing of who the princess was not fond of at all. It was an arrangement made by their fathers but the princess decided her own fate. She arranged to run away with her samurai lover, the night before she was to depart for her wedding she escaped the castle into these very mountains paths and waited for him to come"

"How did he know to meet her here?" Umeki asked

"The incense box" the woman answered "a green one that was her favorite, she gave it to her love and told him to show it to one of her most trusted servants. The servant would then lead him to the princess and they would run away together" it sounded romantic even Umeki had to admit. Forbidden lovers defying all laws put up against them to be together. It sounded like the princess actually had a happy ending unlike both ghost stories told about her…but why did this woman sound so sad? "The king discovered his daughter missing before the samurai could leave the castle. He was blamed for her escape and killed on the spot for his treason" she explained sadly "The princess waited, and waited and waited but when morning came and her love did not come to her she did the only think she thought she could do" The woman looked over her shoulder and Umeki followed her stares. She stared off to the other side of the path where the cliff went from slanted to vertical and Umeki understood: she killed herself.

"That's…tragic" Umeki muttered and the woman nodded her head looked back at Umeki.

"They say that to this day the Samurai tries to come up this path and meet his love but he cannot. He lost the incense box and that keeps him from coming up the path even though he can see the light from her lantern wandering the paths at night." The woman continued her tale and Umeki kept listening.

"…will they ever be reunited?"

"Perhaps, if the right couple find themselves lost in the mountains. A man and a woman who, together, fight all that tries to separate them. It said that only a man and woman like that can find the incense box and give it to the samurai" Umeki snorted slightly at this; that Rule her and Hayato out. They fought sure but it wasn't for each other it was almost always with one another.

"I hope they are reunited soon" Umeki voiced smiling up at the woman who chuckled at her.

"I think they will"

"Umeki!"

"Do you think those two were…" Hayato didn't finish his sentence but he didn't need to because Umeki knew what he was asking. She nodded her head feeling a small smile cross her lips as she did. The pair sat in silent awe after this revelation just holding hands and staring at the sea as if they were any other calm couple.

"We're gonna be leaving soon" Umeki spoke up when she noted that more boys of Kurogin were gathering along the dock. She stood up still holding Hayato's hand and she nodded her head in the direction of the ferry. "Let's go" she said Hayato nodded standing up as well

"Hold on" He tugged at her hand when she tried to pull him toward the boat. Umeki looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. Hayato dug his hands into the pockets of his jacket and pulled out her Peony clip "you dropped it last night" he informed her holding the glittering jewelry and clipping it into her hair.

"That was up in the mountains" Umeki pointed out, she may have had fuzzy memory of last night's evens but she did know that much; they had gone by the entrance yesterday and she had the clip but when they woke up later on it was gone.

"It know that" Hayato nodded running his fingers through her hair after he fastened the clip.

"….wait a minute… is that where you were this morning?" Umeki stared at Hayato in disbelief. Her boyfriend simply grinned at her and took her hand.

"Come on Uki-Chan" and with that they moved to join their friends.

"Okay, okay my turn"

"We're going clockwise!"

"Why are you doing this again? You're dating Rica-Chan!"

"Oil!"

"This is ridiculous!"

"The fact that you guys are doing this again is ridiculous…"

"We all can't be lucky like you Ryu!"

"...what are you guys doing?" Umeki tried not to sigh out when they found their friends crouched together arguing with one another. They all looked up at her and in Hyuuga's clenched hands Umeki could see a bundle of chop sticks and she sighed. These idiots were doing this again. Idiots. "What is it about now?" she asked raising an eyebrow to them. Hyuuga stood up and faced Umeki with a determined expression.

"Uki-chan"

"Mm"

"You have to decide between us!" Hyuuga stated motioning to him and then the others "Who are you going to sit with on the train ride home-"

"Hayato" Umeki didn't wait for Hyuuga to finish. She grabbed her bag from the pile of 3Ds and headed for the ferry "honestly guys how old are you? Quit playing around like this" Hayato couldn't hold back the grin coming to his face as he trailed after Umeki.

And so the students of Kurogin and their teachers filed onto the ferry and watched with depressed eyes as it pulled away from Okinawa thus ending their weeklong trip away from home. Umeki for one couldn't wait to get home and back to being her grumpy self. Relaxing was fun and all but it just took so much energy to act so stupidly, she wondered how the boys did it 24/7. The 3D girl sighed to herself leaning against the rail of the ferry and watching as some of the people along the dock waved goodbye to the students if only to humor the one who's yelled and waved goodbye to no one in general. Many of the natives chuckled to one another as they have a slight wave and then went on about their business but one couple in particular waved on even as everyone else went back to their own business. Heh, they kind of looked like-…. Umeki stood up straighter and gave the couple a good look but they were gone.

"What is it?" Hayato mused from beside her, he was leaning against the rail with his back against it and looked at her when she moved so suddenly. Umeki shook her head.

"Nothing…it was nothing"

Like I said above, Nevermind rules will be up TOMORROW, I'll also be putting chapter one up on the fourth of July but after that I will be gone for a while. I'll be going with my father to Vermont for a while and he hasn't told me when we'll be coming back but I don't get strong internet up there so I won't be able to update. However, I will be checking for any messages or question you guys might have for me while I'm away. I hate to be away after I promised to give you guys Nevermind rules almost a month ago but I do need this . I feel like I'm rushing my stories now and the thought that I'm not making my stories as good as they can be is stressing me out a little, I need some rest. Either way don't forget to review and message and such, you know I love hearing from you guys! And don't forget about my formspring account, I've provided an easier to find link to my account on my bio page and again you don't need an account to ask any questions. I've also have a summary, banners and character pictures of Nevermind rules on my bio now so check it out and please let me know what you think, your opinion matters and usually fuels the speed of updates.

Thanks you guys, you're all awesome! 3