Here is the next chapter to The Lion's Warrior enjoy.
It was a few hours since Haru ran out of the coliseum. Muta was resting on a hospital bed recovering from his wounds as Yuki, Lune, Toto, Hiromi, and Baron sat beside him.
"So.......how long am I gonna stay at the hospital?" Muta asked.
"Well the doctor said that you havent suffered much damage so maybe just a couple of days." Hiromi said.
Muta sighed a bit. "A couple of days huh? Well that's not so bad, but Im feeling really bad for not getting to see Chicky's next match tomorrow."
"Im sure Haru will understand." Lune said. "I hope she's stops crying soon."
"It'll take her awhile to get over it. Hopefully she'll leave her room tomorrow." Toto said with a hint of worry in his tone.
"Poor Haru.....being transformed into that awful beast....." Yuki said as she started to sob.
As Lune held on to Yuki to comfort her, Baron spoke up. "Muta......why did Haru transform? What made her that way?"
Muta shook his head. "Sorry Baron, but Haru, Toto and I both made an oath to not get people involved in Haru's transformation."
Toto agreed. "For once I agree with meatball here. If we just go around telling people it would cause a panic."
But Baron wouldnt hear of it. "Please you two, I need to know what's wrong with Haru. I dont want this to happen to her again. Now why was she possessed by that evil spirit?"
Muta once again looked at Toto and sighed. "Well Toto.....it looks like they got us. We're gonna have to tell them since they deserved to know."
"Ok.....tell them Muta."
Muta then started to tell the story as Baron and the others were listening.
"Well it all started when Haru, Toto and I were young and that we lived in Fisherman's village, where everyday we first help our elders with some of the chores then go off to play, thats what we did back then. One night though, Haru, Toto and I were in the forest picking up some firewood for the village when I heard the villagers's voices screaming from the distance and told Haru about it. She got so worried about what's going on she just randomly hopped on Toto's back and the two took off to see what's terrorizing the village. I had to run all the way back....I didnt see what happened but Toto did from the rooftops of one of the houses."
Then it was Toto's turn to speak. "I was scared stiff, when I saw that spirit......he was a big one. He was threatening to kill the villagers, and he would've done it too, if Haru hadnt stopped him."
"But.....how on earth did she do it? And why would the spirit want to kill the villagers?" Hiromi asked.
Toto shrugged. "We dont know why, but we do know that he was mad about something......I can tell that there was pain in his eyes. Anyway Haru stopped him by making a deal with him."
"WHAT?!" Baron and the others shouted out loud.
Muta cringed. "MUST YOU GUYS BE SO LOUD?!"
"Sorry......"
"Anyway what birdbrain was trying to say that the spirit was the one who was making the deal with Haru, not the other way around. He told her that if she became his host, he will stop hurting people and the only way to let him crossover for good is when she truly falls in love with somebody, so she agreed and that's when the silver sword came to the picture."
"What's the sword's true purpose to Haru?" Lune asked.
"The sword that Haru carries is not just a weapon that she uses to protect herself and randomly beat the living crud out of bad guys, but its also a seal to prevent the lion spirit's temper at bay so that he wont hurt anybody through Haru. As long as that sword stays with her, she wont go beserk." Toto explained.
"Even though Haru's a very responsible person, she still didnt trust herself that day, so she left the village along with me and Toto. She knew that if she keeps her distance from everyone else, they'll be safe from the spirit's wrath." Muta said with a serious tone. "To tell you the truth, this is the tenth time that she accidently got seperated from the sword."
"Oh my...." Yuki shuddered.
"This was why Toto and I tried to find a nice guy for Haru to fall in love with and be loved back in return, you Baron seem to be a nice guy and you also seem to care for Haru alot. That I can tell."
Baron nodded at Muta. He was honostly shocked and touched at the same time that Haru had sacrificed her willpower and freedom to protect the villagers from harm. "I really do care for her, very much."
Muta chuckled. "Im glad you do. It may look like that we're using you, but we're not.......Haru would never use you, she tried to talk me out of it after when she accidently signed up for the tournament."
"I know that Haru is not the type to use someone for her own interests. What she did back then was very brave of her, she is a wonderful lady and Im proud enough to be in love with her and Im glad that I did!"
"You'll have to tell her that you know." Toto said.
"I will. After the tournament, wheter she wins or not, I will tell her!" Baron declared.
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At the hotel, Haru was in her room, crying on her bed.
"Oh why.........why did this have to happen? Now everybody will hate me.......even Baron and my own best friends........." Haru thought in despair.
Then suddenly she heard silent footsteps coming towards her, how can this be? The door was locked from the inside and wont open without the key card that only Haru possessed.
"Someone managed to infiltrate the room? B-But how? Oh what does it matter? If that person is here to kill me then let him......I got nothing else to live for...."
But instead of stabbing Haru's back, the mysterious visitor spoke. "So........you really do look like her....."
Haru's teary eyes widened as she turned around to see who spoke, it was the silent warrior!
"You! You're that quiet warrior girl that never talks!" Haru shouted a bit in amazement.
"The very same....." the red haired warrior spoke in a dull tone.
"Who are you and what are you doing in here?"
The red haired warrior girl blinked a few times before answering. "Lets just say that you can call me Hollow and that I am here to talk."
As much as Haru wanted to tell her that she wasnt in the mood to talk, this "Hallow" looked like she wasnt going to take no for an answer.
"About what?" Haru asked.
Hollow sat on Haru's bed beside our crying warrior. "I know what you were thinking when you ran out of the coliseum earlier. You're planning to quit, and I must urge you not to."
"How come? You saw what I did, didnt you? I nearly killed my best friend and Echidna!" Haru protested.
Hollow shot Haru a questionable look. "Now what's with this "I" thing? Hm? Everyone knows that it was the spirit that did this thing and not you."
"But it was by MY hands! How am I supposed to go out there and face everybody! They're scared of me! They hate me! They now wish me de-" Haru was going to finish but Hollow interrupted.
"Everyone here can tell the difference between a concious action and a unconcious act. Everyone knows that you didnt transform willingly."
"How?"
"Cats can sense energy from a living being. If they sense a weird energy that doesnt belong to you then they'll know that its not your doing. That is why you musnt quit." Hollow explained then started reaching into her samurai kimono. "And besides..... if me proving your innocence to you isnt enough then I will give you another reason why you must continue to fight."
Hollow pulled out a pair of glasses that has the cracked glass on the right lense with some dried blood spots on it and showed it to Haru. Haru's heart stopped.
"Is that.....?"
"Yes.....this belonged to that girl who was traveling with the cat warrior. Her opponent was that crazed fighter that you saw earlier."
"Is.....Brooke ok?" Haru asked with a worried tone.
Hollow said nothing at first but spoke. "Im not sure......her condition was too serious to tell. Her friend was devastated though. That is why you must come back to defeat that crazed warrior and....you must also defeat me."
Haru had a look of confusion on her face. "The psycho warrior I understand but.....why you? What if you're my next opponent?"
"I know that you will get her next, once you defeat her, I will be your final opponent. And also........the third and final reason why I wanted you to come back to fight was because.....of your friends along with the first born prince that has been seeing you that night. He really cares about you, you know...."
Haru unconciously nodded her head until her eyes bulged anime style and randomly pointed at Hollow. "H-How did you know that Baron and I were talking?! You were spying on us?!"
Hollow sighed. "I didnt spy you baka, I just had a feeling that the both of you were talking together. So what do you say? Will you continue to fight?"
Haru chilled out for a minute and started to think. For a competitor, Hollow sure does seem the type to do honorable things, and she also sure is desperate to get Haru to fight her. Can Haru really trust Hollow? Maybe.....sense she did talk some sense into her after all.
"Sure. I will continue." Haru said honestly.
"Good, meet me at waiting room tomorrow, I will tell you exactly what you need to know about your opponent." Hollow said as she was heading towards the door.
"Okay.........uh before you go......what did you mean about looking like her? Who were you talking about exactly?" Haru asked curiously.
There were a few moments of dramatic silence until Hollow spoke. "I will tell you when you're older."
That's when Haru fell off the bed anime style.
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Well now that Muta, Toto, and Hollow have straightened a few things out, the sort of mystery is still on, while Haru's next match against the psychotic gunner girl is on the way. Who is Hollow really? How does she along with the elder cat king know about the lion spirit? Is there a connection to the three characters? Who is the person that shares Haru's face? And what about Baron and the others? Will they have their chance to see and talk to Haru again? Or will Haru avoid them for now? Stay tuned to see the next chapter of The Lion's Warrior!!!!!!!!!