Don't Look Back – Chapter 20

A Tear Of Peace

((Haku's POV))

"Are you sure?" I asked the scout.

The young man nodded, "I'm quite positive, Lord Haku. Kallisto is moving in again."

"Then we need to prepare." I said, "You are dismissed."

As the man left my office, I sat down at my desk with a sigh. Why did everything seem to happen at once? Chihiro came into my office and set down her cup of tea, and handed me mine. Before she even said anything, I answered her unspoken question. "She's coming."

"Does anyone else know?"

"No. No one does. But, this is just so unexpected. We've had no reports of her even thinking about moving. What happened?"

"Who knows? But, I do know that we need to call a meeting, and everyone has to come."

"I agree. Call them up here."

My father was the last one to enter my study. "What is it?" he asked, and the rest of the people assembled nodded.

I looked at all of the faces waiting for my response. My father was as cool as ever, never showing his feelings. Perun was relaxed, an arm around Amaya's waist. She wasn't as calm as him, but she hid it well. Chihiro stood next to her, all ready knowing the news. Rin stood farthest to the right, eyeing me with suspicion. She thinks I'm going to tell about yesterday to everyone… oh how I wish that were it. Yubaba stood to Kentoku's left, arms crossed. She certainly doesn't like to be woken up, and really don't like that her bathhouse is a war zone. Felix and Basir, the two League generals, stood next to her in all seriousness. I never would have expected Felix to be hitting on Rin yesterday… but now wasn't the time.

"Kallisto is moving." I said simply.

"Where?" Basir asked.

"Here."

"Do you know when she should be here?" Felix asked, leaning on his right foot, hand on his sword pommel.

"Within the week. We need to get ready."

Preparations were underway, and the bathhouse was scrambling. Amidst the chaos, Chihiro put a hand on my arm. "Haku?"

I turned to her with a small smile. "Yes my love?"

"I…" she began, blushing. "Iwaswonderingifyoucouldteachmehowtouseasword."

I blinked. "You are going to have to go slower than that my dear."

"I… could you teach me how to use a sword?" she asked softly.

My eyes widened in surprise. "Why? A sword isn't for a lady-"

"Amaya uses one."

"That's because she was a Druid. Now, I really don't think you want to use a sword."

"Please? I want to be able to depend on something else besides my magic!"

"A bow perhaps?" Kentoku suggested, coming up behind us.

I raised an eyebrow. "A bow."

"Yes, a bow." He said, looking at me sternly, "If you won't let her use a sword, you should at least provide a substitute."

I sighed, "But I don't know how to use a bow."

"You shame me." My father said sarcastically, turning to Chihiro, "Would you like to learn?"

"Please." She said with a nod.

"Then follow me. Since your man seems incapable of teaching you, I'll do it."

"You know how to use a bow?" I asked, a little shocked.

Kentoku snorted, "Of course I do. I can use more than one weapon. Now, Chihiro, please follow me."

((Chihiro's POV))

At first I was scared at learning how to shoot with Kentoku as my teacher. He's nice and all… but… okay, well, I didn't really know that seeing as he never really talks that much. But, I soon learned that he's not bad at all… he's just a soul that's been hurt. All he really needs is someone to talk to.

Kentoku had taken me outside to a secure glade in the gardens, and handed me a bow that he had picked up a long the way. "Here you go. Now, we're not going to use real arrows because I don't want you to shoot something that you didn't really mean to. For instance; yourself."

I smiled slightly, "All right." What no one knew is, I all ready knew how to shoot. Well, that might have been stretching it a bit. I knew how to hold a bow and attempt to shoot. Funny what summer camps teach young campers to do.

He handed me an arrow, point down. "Do you know how to hold the bow?"

"I do. I learned a little in the human world."

"Oh good! Then this won't be helpless." He said with a small smile. I looked at the target, and took my stance. "Hold it." He stopped me, a hand on my arm, "Did you ever hit the target in the human world?"

"Well… no…" I said with a blush.

"No wonder you didn't," he said, and I relaxed the bowstring. "No no, take your stance again." I did ask he asked, which resulted in him chuckling. "Now, you may want to lower your right arm a bit…" He placed his cool hand on my elbow, and slowly pushed it down so it was level with my shoulder. "Now, touch your mouth to your left shoulder…" I did as he asked.

"Now release." He said softly. I did, and the arrow flew, hitting the ring around the bull's eye. I just stared in shock.

Kentoku patted my shoulder, "See? Nothing to it. Now, our job is to get Haku and Perun out here."

"To show off or to get them to shoot?"

"Either one works for me. Personally, I would rather see them be more fluent in weaponry. Now, I want to see you get a bull's eye this time…"

We decided to get the guys out to the shooting range soon before Kallisto's army arrived. He took my bow and the quiver of dull arrows and put them back in the armory.

"Thank you for the lessons." I said, offering him a curtsy.

He smiled down at me. "Please Chihiro, don't curtsy to me. It was an honor to teach a woman such as yourself how to shoot."

"I wasn't that big of a pain was I?" I asked, remembering how frustrated I was getting toward the end of the lesson.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course not. I think that you're the fastest learner that I've ever had the privilege of teaching."

I smiled, "Well, thank you again. Now I just want to rub it in Haku's face that I can do something that he can't."

To my surprise, Kentoku threw his head back and laughed. The sound… it was enough to make any woman's knees melt. Such a deep and light hearted laugh… I had no idea why he didn't use it more. When he looked back down at me, I smiled up at him.

"I've come to a conclusion."

"And what would that be?" He asked, genuinely curious, his eyes still dancing with mirth.

"You need to laugh more." I told him firmly, and then went to the elevator, and up to my rooms.

((Kentoku's POV))

I need to laugh more. Well, I can't ignore that because it's true. It's just a matter of laughing. What makes me laugh anyway?

I sighed and leaned my head against the wall of the bathhouse. I had gone back outside and was listening to the miniature sea around the bathhouse crash against the cliff side. I leaned over the fence that Yubaba had placed at the edge of the cliff and looked down at the waves.

They seemed dangerous, but they always calmed me for some reason.

"You need to lighten up." A gentle voice told me.

I sighed, knowing immediately who it was. "What for? There is nothing here for me."

"You found your sons. That should be enough. They are both happy with the women they love. Why can't you be the same?"

"Be the same? Why would I betray the woman I love and take another? I will never betray that love and trust."

"Then you insult the memory of that love. You should move on… you should, no, you deserve to be happy. You've done so much for this world and it's time you focused on yourself."

I sighed in defeat. "I… I don't think that I know how to do that anymore. I don't know what makes me happy these days. Everything is just about war."

"You should listen to that young woman… Chihiro. She made you laugh."

I smiled despite myself. "The image that her statement brought was enough to make anyone laugh."

"See? You have found something that makes you laugh. Family."

"Family? I don't even know them that well."

The voice paused, almost like they were trying not to yell. "Then this is the opportune moment to get to know them better if you never know what will happen in war."

I stayed silent for a while. "I hate it when you're right." I whispered with a smile.

The voice laughed a melodic laugh, one that I had loved so. "You should be used to it by now."

"I know, but a man has to keep his pride you know."

"Ah… men and their pride…" the voice teased.

I felt a presence move in front of me, over the open sea. I felt a faint hand lay itself on my cheek, "I love you." The voice whispered. "I don't want you to forget me, but I don't want what we had to sadden you."

"It won't."

"Will you move on then?"

I sighed, "I'll try."

"You will try?"

"No… I will. For you." I corrected myself with a smile.

"That's better." The voice said softly, and I felt a feather light kiss brush against my lips. The presence moved away, the hand slowly leaving my face. With a sigh, the presence vanished. It saddened me; she was truly gone from my life. But, the fact that I had talked to her one more time was enough. I had a promise to keep.

A strong wind blew into my face, carrying the smell of fresh rain. I smiled as I breathed the scent in deeply. A lone tear slowly rolled down my cheek. But it wasn't a tear of sadness.

But a tear of peace.

A/N: Well. I must say that I liked making Kentoku a little happier in this chapter, I really did. I appologize for this being so short, but um... it's just kind of how it came out. The next one will be longer, I promise!

Tailz the Great
Goddess of Grammar
XxLil-AngelxX
Priestess Kohana
StrugglingArtist
marajade963
ArtysThunder
White Dragon 69
annoying-little-girl

And to Giddyupgal... Kasumi BURN. Just thought I would say something... xD

Thank you to everyone! Don't worry, more chapters coming... and I'm not even done planning yet. ((lol))

-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-