Petals of Life: Chapter 2

Misao Pov.

"Aoshi no baka!" Misao shouted in frustration. Who cares I don't need him... Damn, why! Am I so ugly he can't love me! He knew all along and did nothing to say what he felt! I wish I could just forget everything! About him and my feelings for him. I-I wish I could start a new life without him…

As she whipped the warm tears from her eyes she gasped at what she saw, "Hannya…hmm...figures I would end up here." I haven't been here in so long. This was the place where Hannya and I would discuss my problems and he would bring me to train here once in a while with the others. It's just as beautiful as ever…a cliff that has a river at the bottom, the ability to see Kyoto from this very cliff, the trees and flowers, and the fireflies. "It's almost dark I should just camp out here..." and I don't feel ready to face Aoshi yet.

Later that evening at the Aoiya

Aoshi Pov.

I wonder if Misao got back all right. I have to tell her but…

"Aoshi! Aoshi! You have to go see Okina right away!" Yelled Omasu with a pale and haunted face, just as Aoshi walked into the kitchen.

"Omasu what happened?"

"Just go see Okina and hurry," was all Omasu got before Aoshi was gone from the kitchen.

I have a bad feeling abut this… As Aoshi reached the door to Okina's office he saw a hand motioning for him to come in, but the western style chair turned so you could only see the back of the chair.

"What is it Okina?" said Aoshi while taking a seat.

"It's Misao," he answered in a sober voice, "she is no where to be found. We looked all over but still haven't found her."

"It's all right. She will come home when she is ready."

"That's all you have to say? Hmm…" asked Okina in a slight whisper.

"What?"

"Aoshi, as you know our little Misao has deep feelings for you and she isn't little any more…and for you to put her feelings aside like that is just heartless of you."

"Okina-"

Okina sighed, getting ready for his short lecture; "No, listen Aoshi. We all knew how Misao feels. We just didn't understand why? You are a very lucky man to have someone who loves you so unconditionally like my little Misao. Many men aren't as lucky as you… though I don't know now if you are that lucky of a man anymore," that look in Aoshi's eyes that look of abandonment, made him know he struck something in Aoshi.

"…" Aoshi was speechless he couldn't make any come back. He knew Okina was right. He knew all along how she felt and he didn't do or say anything, but just hurt her.

"I know something happened to you two at the temple. Don't ask how, but I just know by that far off look in you eyes…well farther than usual."

"…"

Aoshi watched as Okina headed for the door, "Aoshi it is your choice to help or not we won't force you to get involved in you don't want to," Okina's voice called out over his shoulder as he walked away to help with the search, "but just think over what I said."

Aoshi sat there only for a moment before standing and going off to his room. Misao is missing. I should go find her and explain now I guess…I just hope this is the right thing to do, and I'm not to late. And is it really that obvious that something like his is on my mind. Thought Aoshi as he got in to him ninja out fit and gathered hid Kodachi's and jumped out soundlessly out the window and walking of in search of Misao.

Somewhere near to where Misao is

"So that is Misao Makimachi?" stated a muscular shadow his piecing staring at Misao.

"A small thing, yes?" asked his boss, "but not to be taken lightly."

"Yes she is, this aught to be fun."

"Round up the men we strike soon." Ordered the boss to his minion. Misao you will pay for what you did to my brother.

Flash Back: 1 yr. ago

"Onii-san (big brother) where are we going what about mom and dad?"

"They are gon-" Thud. Was the last word he got to say after a kunai stabbed his heart killing him instantly by a kunai flying from the brush.

"Onii-san! Onii-san!"

"Hmm…Misao looks like you need to work on your aim you could have almost killed me."

"Shut up Sagara," said Misao sticking her nose up in the air not knowing what she had just done.

"Ok, ok let's just get you back to Kyoto so I can get back to Tokyo and see fox again."

"So why did you have to come again just to walk me back to Kyoto?"

"Because that little Jouchan (Kaoru) said that if I didn't she wouldn't feed me!"

Misao, I won't forget what you did. I will have my revenge for my brother. I just need a little more information on you and then I will attack just wait and see. Thought the boy as he watched the two companions walk of to Kyoto and leaving without knowing that an enemy was just created.

End Flash Back

"After one year I'm ready to face you Makimachi," hissed the man with cold, haunting, murderous eyes directed to Misao from the distance.

At the cliff where Misao is at

Misao Pov.

At the cliff Misao was asleep until she heard a rustle in the trees. She got in to her defense stance and got her kunai ready for the intruder. "Who is there," she asked in a cold destructive voice, her eyes now cold and icy as if she were Aoshi…

"Makimachi!" yelled the leader of the group, as he stepped out into the moonlight. "I suppose you don't remember me...let alone know me, nee?" The man before her was about her age, and he had a build like Aoshi's; his face was lean, but what were most frightening were his eyes. His eyes were crimson like blood…they were filled with the need to kill and held firm like ice.

"Who are you?" Misao letting her guard down just for a moment. Her eyes held confusion and…fright?

"Why I guess you don't remember your trip with that Sagara boy one year ago back to Kyoto. When you flung a kunai killing my brother instantly, also MY ONLY FAMILY!" He cried as he lunged and 10 other men jumping out from the trees to toward her…

What is this man talking about? One year ago…damn this is going to be one hell of a fight. Aoshi…can't think about him must forget and concentrate.

Aoshi in the Woods

Aoshi Pov.

"Kuso (shit), where is she" ok think, you found her before when she was little; where did she always go when she was troubled? Hannya? Hannya. As Aoshi ran at top speed through the forest the closer he got to Misao's hiding place the more blood he smelled in the air and the more he was anxious he was to find her. Misao…I hope I'm not to late…

When Aoshi finally got there Kodachi ready all the found were eleven men on the ground. Misao… "Misao!" He was frantic his eyes held guilt, devastation, most of all loneliness. He looked at the cliff wishing he didn't now…what he saw there was her kunai one standing there at the edge with the name written Makimachi Misao and the Oniwaban symbol engraved on it. As he walked over to the ledge and looked in the river all he saw was blood in the river…the river was only made of blood.

"Hehehe…she is dead…we killed her," said the leader said getting up with only a few feet behind where Aoshi stood at the ledge, and with only a few scratches on his shoulders and legs. "You must be Shinomori Aoshi, nee? She feel off that cliff as you can tell," he said pointing to the edge of the cliff with his thumb. "She put up a good fight she killed all of my men but she wasn't good enough."

Aoshi's whole body went against of what he was holding up inside that moment, and all his emotions could be read that very instant like an open book. His hands were clenched to his Kodachi drawing blood from his hands that dripped; his shoulders were tense and his head was down with…guilt? His whole body showed anger…at himself or this man before him?

"It was a pity though she was so pretty I should have kept her, nee?" he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You should have seen the look on her face when I told her that she was going to die. What she said was the most interesting though "your right I am going to die someday so what is the use I have nothing to live for," it was like she didn't care anymore and she just dropped her kunai, right where your standing and just let me stab her right here." As he pointed to his chest to show, a kunai flew through the air with so much force it killed the leader instantly in the chest. The blood splattered the ground the same time the man fell; the kunai glistened in the moonlight that read Makimachi Misao along with the symbol of the Oniwaban Group.