"Thank you Aya, for letting me use your phone." Mariko was at Aya's house. It was bright; with yellow walls and jungle green furniture – not the kind of colour-scheme one would expect from her. "I just had to let Mother and Father know where I am. I can't go back home yet. I hope you don't mind."
"Hey, no worries." She responded with a kindly smile. "Although can you do it at a better time next time. Y'Know, like after nine a.m?"
"I-I'm sorry Aya…I-I just couldn't…" She sniffed.
"I know." Aya stretched her arms around her friend before any tears could make an appearance. "It sucks. These things suck, I know. But you'll get through it – you've been trained for this sorta thing."
"But it was Master Shen Aya. Master Shen was always our strength. I just can't believe he's gone…"
"Everything will be alright. You'll see. Where's your positive spirit?"
"And Espio! How could they think it was him? How's he gonna get out of this?"
"Why don't we go and see him?" She pulled herself away and grabbed a coat from her hanger. "I think he's still allowed visitors. I'm sure we can clear something up if we go up and see him."
Deep under the surface of the Mountains, are two facilities. The first is a sewer system collecting the refuse of the villages and turns it into electricity as well as the compost & fertilizer for the soil above.
The other facility is a dungeon. This is where criminals and prisoners of war are kept. Thankfully, the Shinobi village is usually quite peaceful and well ordered, and therefore it is rarely occupied. Fortune has not found favour in the young violet chameleon, who sat in his cell to figure out what had happened.
"How did I get here exactly?" He asked himself aloud. He was sat on his cell bed against the wall. His eyes shut and his arms folded as he pondered on his situation. The shock of the event was so great that he wasn't even fazed by who it was that was murdered yet. "I didn't kill anyone."
"Well, that's interesting." A voice called out from the shadows.
"Who's there?" Espio called back. "Show yourself!"
"Cool it man." Shiro became visible and approached the bars of the cell. "It's just me buddy."
Espio was surprised. "What're you doing here?"
"I snuck in." He smirked. "For a race of creatures that can bend the light around them, you'd think we'd have at least installed some heat-sensing cameras or something in our dungeons."
"You're here unauthorised?"
"Duh." Shiro replied. "My best friend kills our master, so I decide to come to see if it's true..."
"But I didn't! It wasn't..."
"Dude, they found your sword plunged into his back. Any-ways, relax. I know it wasn't you."
"You believe me? Why? How?"
"Why? Because you're my best friend and I know you man."
"How is you being my best friend going to get me out of this mess?"
"I caught you talking to yourself; you were asking the same questions everyone else is which either means you're innocent…" Shiro looked down to the floor in thought, before dramatically snapping his head back up concluding "…or you're a sadistic lunatic that needs to be put down like the dog that you are!"
"Could you stop with the jokes Shiro! This is serious!"
"That's what what the guys up there are currently thinking!"
"Shiro, our master was murdered!"
"I know that!" Shiro yelled back. "You think this is easy for me either? I would be back up there mourning if it wasn't for this injustice placed upon you. I'm trying to help here – I'm not the bad guy."
"Then who is? Who did it?"
"Do you think I'd be down here if I knew that? Heck – do you think you'd be here if they knew that?"
"What can I do then? I'm powerless."
"You tried picking the lock with your tail?"
"You…You mean escape?"
"Am I going too fast for you or something?"
"Shiro, if I escape, they will think I'm undeniably guilty." He then sat down next to the bars cross-legged. "What would they do to me if they caught me after?"
"What if you don't escape? Say someone breaks you out?"
"What's the difference?"
"It'd be more kidnapping, wouldn't it?"
"I don't think that that's how they would see it. Why are you asking me this anyway?"
"What did you think I came down here for moron? To play poker?"
"W-What?! Shiro, you can't do that. No!"
Shiro revealed his kusarigama weapon and began swinging the steel ball end over his head.
"I wasn't asking for your permission."
KLANG! He struck the bars, knocking several loose.
"Grraarrgh!" He roared as he swung a second time.
BANG! The bars collapsed, revealing a shuddering Espio. He was curled up on the floor with his hands over his head and his eyes shut tightly.
"W-What have you done?" He quivered.
"I just freed you man – now come on!" Shiro replied as he dragged Espio through the tunnel.
"Release me! The consequences are too great for both of us if we're caught."
"Quit your whining. I've thought this through."
"What do you mean?" Espio enquired as Shiro finally released his tail.
They stood at the tunnel's entrance. A great steel door blocked their way out.
"How'd you even sneak in here?" Espio asked. "What are you trying to do?"
"Fine. Fine, I'll talk." Shiro began. "I feel responsible for this."
"What're you talking about? You didn't do this."
"Well, no…but I was still the one who pressured you into that thing with master last night. Maybe things would've turned out differently if I hadn't meddled with things."
"Of course things would've turned out differently. Master believed strongly in the butterfly effect; 'the smallest thing could make big changes in one's life but at the same time, we should not dwell on those past changes but instead look towards the future.' That is what he used to say to us."
"You're right. But with that said, I wanted to make things right. I spied on the guards to find the code in here and I came to break you out."
"Then what now?"
"I made arrangements with some friends from our sister village. We've got a place where you can hide at and no-one will find you." He went on to insert the code to open the door, revealing the blizzard-like conditions of the mountain top. "Whilst you're there, some of the guys and I can investigate into this and clear your name."
Espio pointed his head down, stroking his nose-horn in thought. "Thank you Shiro, but…" He said. "I must decline your offer."
"W-What?!" Shiro gasped. "What're you talking about? After all I've done here, you're just gonna go back to your cell?!"
"I can't drag you into this as well. You better go."
"What about you?"
"This is my burden to carry. My problem. I'm going to find out who did this, why and why me." He raised a clenched fist to emphasize his next point "Then, I'll bring them to Acrodon justice."
"No Espio, No. I've – I've got this all set out. You'll be safer at the safe place I set for you man." Shiro begged. "You're my best friend man. I'm gonna do everything in my power to clear your name. You're gonna die if you go out there on your own like this; the Gossamer Clan will sacrifice you to their monster, the Kimori Clan could sell you into slavery or the Raiju clan could put you under unending torture!"
"Sorry Shiro. I need to do this."
"Why? Why though?"
"Master Shen was like a close Uncle. He acted as a father after mine died. Since I could only visit my real mother twice a year, he was basically all I had."
Shiro stood quietly. The frozen wind had begun wrapping its icy hands around them.
"I guess there's nothing left for me to say that could change your mind." He finally said. "Should've realized it from the start; after all, after losing my father too, it's what I would've done."
They smiled at one another at that point.
"What's your plan?" He asked.
"I'm going back to the dojo. I'm going to search for clues at the dojo – maybe the killer left something. At the same time I'm going to pick up some supplies for the trip."
Shiro shook his head in disagreement. "You're going back, to the scene of the crime? You'll be diced up before you can say 'I'm Innocent!'" Shiro yelled.
"I won't be there for too long. I'll just pack some food, my katana and some other essentials. Then I'm heading out."
"Well, where will you go?"
"I don't know where I'll go. I'll just have to make it up as I go along. I'll go wherever the clues lead me after that. I could even go and find aid from other lands."
"You're so stubborn." Shiro chuckled.
Espio smiled "You're the same."
"That's why we're brothers. I only hope that this isn't the last time we say this…"
"It won't be. I'm sure of it."
Another long pause fell upon the pair.
Shiro then broke the silence once again. "Alright then." He smiled. "I'll stay here and try to help out as best I can. But I can't guarantee your safety if you don't take my suggestion."
"I know."
"You do what you gotta do." Shiro smiled as the two performed a 'ninja fist-bump'.
"Brothers till the end, right?"
Espio smiled back. Their fists remained together for a moment longer. Another moment passed, until the two tightly gripped their arms around each other in a final farewell.
"Brothers till the end." Espio confirmed.
"And brothers look out for each other."
"Always." Espio said. "Good-bye my friend."
"Take care of yourself Espio. And I'll continue looking to the future too."
And with that Espio departed. His friend continued to watch from higher up the mountain. His brother. Perhaps never to meet again.
Early Afternoon. Mariko and Aya had come to the dungeons to speak with Espio.
Escorting them was a large blue chameleon guard, who was armed with two large katana blades strapped to his back.
"He's innocent!" Mariko yelled at him as they walked down the tunnel.
"Ma'am, please..." He responded.
"What would even make you think that Espio was responsible?"
"His katana was found plunged into the body." The guard replied. "When we got him in the morning, we found him wrapped in bandages; indicating a struggle from the night that Ninja Master Shen died."
"But those were injuries from an accident he had – I saw them with my own eyes! Tell him Aya."
Aya wasn't paying much attention. She was too busy eyeing the guard's large frame and crest. "Hm? Bandages?" She snapped out of her daze "Oh yeah – he hit his head at the Sakura Murasaki and passed out."
"Oh? Is that so? So now we've got an underage, drunk murderer on our hands." He said.
"What?! He wasn't drunk, he was picking up an order for someone."
"Save it for the judge kid."
"Aya, help me here."
Aya stopped the guard in his tracks. "Hey buddy, I work there. I've got all the evidence you could want." She picked a piece of paper from her coat pocket and began writing on it. "Here's my number…" She said as she passed it over to the confused guard.
"Just give me a call if you need to bring me in to help with questioning…or if you wanna go see a play or…"
"Aya!" Mariko yelled as she dragged her away to speak to her more privately. "What are you doing? We're supposed to be helping Espio."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Aya whispered in reply. "But I just thought, y'know, why not help out myself a little too – I mean have you seen him?" She turned her head around and gave the guard a little wave.
Mariko groaned. "That's not important right now. We need to prove Espio's innocence."
"Wow, if you like him enough to pass up this hunk, then I guess it's really important to you – so I'll focus a little more." She said, giving her a playful wink as well.
The guard brushed past them. "Okay ladies, this way." He led them into the holding area where Espio's cell was. "If you wish to prove his supposed 'innocence', you will have to represent him as witnesses in the court of Justice tomorrow morning."
"Fine." Mariko sighed. "I will show you now at least, that he is innocent even before the court session tomorrow."
"Very well. But remember, that your time with him is only ten minutes; so say what you need to say as quickly as possible." The guard warned her as they approached Espio's cell.
The cell was completely demolished when they arrived. They stared in shock as they realized what had transpired here.
"He's gone!" Aya exclaimed.
The guard was flabbergasted "How did he-"
"This can't be right!" Mariko gasped. "Espio would never-"
"Look..." The guard said, pointing to the destroyed cell. "He has fled! Why would he do that if he knew he was innocent?"
"But Espio..." She pleaded again. Tears were welling up within her. She slumped to her knees.
The guard sadly shook his head, he knew she was in bad shape but he had to capture the criminal at large and so sprinted back up the tunnel to rally their forces.
Aya carefully crouched down beside her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mariko, I'm sorry…but he has a point. I think Espio is-"
"Please…" Mariko whimpered.
"Huh?"
"Please, just give me a moment…" Mariko's scales had already become a blue shade.
Aya's sympathy for her also caused a slight blue tint in her scales to arise as she stepped back from her. "Uh…of course, sure. I'll just wait outside when you're ready."
Mariko sat alone in the dungeon. The oil lamps began to flicker with the incoming wind from outside as Aya exited. A tear dropped to the floor – the sound echoing throughout the tunnels.
"Espio...it can't be true...could it...?"
The blue in her scales then slowly transitioned to red.
A dark blanket of clouds had congregated over the Shinobi village. The village itself was quiet. There was no-one in the streets.
Invisible, Espio quickly ran through the village. A crash of thunder echoed through the mountain. The only evidence of him being there were the splashes his feet made as he ran through the waterlogged terrain, but he knew that if he timed them carefully, they would appear to others as raindrops.
The door to his home was barred off, so he leapt into the top window. "He-Hello?" He called. There was no answer. "Aki? Aki are you there? I-It's me…" The house was empty.
"She must've been taken back to work at the palace…"
He picked up a rucksack and searched the house for anything that could help him on his quest. Pencils and notepads – he could use these to write down a list of events or to sketch suspicious persons. A box of matches – the cold nights could be made less unpleasant with these.
Everything else was at the dojo, his next stop. He was about to leave when something caught his eye. He walked over to it – a photograph of his parents in their youth. Beside it was his father's straw hat.
He placed the hat upon his head, looking at both the image of his father and himself in the mirror. A near match!
"So why do I feel so…."
Another crash of thunder resounded. Espio had to start moving again, he packed the portrait into his bag, but decided to leave the hat behind.
"I'll reclaim it when I return victorious." He promised himself, before leaping back out of the building, invisible once again.
Lightning flashed, followed by light thunder and rainfall. The rain as it dropped down revealed Espio's outline, despite being invisible. He ran onto the porch of the training dojo. No-one had seen him, he believed and so he entered.
The dojo felt very different from last night. It was cold and dark. It felt abandoned or condemned. He could feel the cobwebs staring at him.
His master's body had been removed from the room. All that remained were blood splatters on the floors and walls. His katana, drenched in blood, lay on the floor in a puddle in the middle of the room. He bowed sadly, to pay his respects to his lost master. Leaving his sword his sword untouched for now, he went towards the costume cabinets. He pulled out his outdoor ninja shoes.
These shoes had a highly durable rubber underneath which allowed for great grip, support and protection without inhibiting his natural ability to stick to walls. His gauntlets were next to be retrieved; these allowed him to store a vast amount of Shuriken stars and Kunai knives.
He looked around the room as he prepared to leave. Where there were blood splatters in the walls, there were shuriken stars or holes where swords may have been struck. Chairs had been knocked over and tables smashed in two.
He saw a tag reading 'Espio'. He scrambled over to the pile of rubble and began digging through to find what it was. It was a rolled up letter - from his master, before he died.
"I'll have to read that later. I don't know how long I've got left before I am detected." He said to himself as he placed the letter in his bag. "Now to check my sword."
There was little other information that he could find besides the blood splatter on the floor when he went to check his sword.
"Shimatta..." He uttered quietly. "If only I could've been able to see everything in their original positions – I could've gotten a lot more info. Those amateur officers can't do their jobs properly!"
Suddenly, he noticed something in the blood puddle. It appeared to be a skin sample – scale fragments to be exact.
"Scale fragments? The culprit was obviously reptile in origin." He spoke to himself again. "Or maybe it's from Master? I'll have to collect a sample of the blood so I can see if the DNA from it matches with this scale fragment. Surely I can find a medical centre where I can have this tested."
Concluding that his work was now done here, and that he was running out of time, Espio then went on to pick up his sword. The blade was covered in dried blood. He allowed the rain to flow down his blade like a river; gently washing away those impurities. He scrubbed off his sword with a cloth before placing it in his sheath.
He turned to set off, when suddenly…
"GAH!" He gasped. There was a strike of lightning. A roar of thunder followed after.
It was Mariko. She had been standing underneath the porch, leaning against the wall. An expressionless face, but deadly eyes.
Espio was concerned at first, but then gave a light smile to her. She did not smile back; she instead continued to lean, her arms folded, against the wall. She didn't speak, she just stared at him.
"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to do your chores as I promised today. Circumstances and all." He said to her, still smiling.
Her expression did not change.
Espio lost his smile and looked down, his eyes closed. "I'm leaving now...I...I don't know when I'll be coming back. But I can't be here right now, as you know…" He looked back up to her.
There was still no change in her expression. She continued to just stand there, staring at him.
"I have to go alone on this journey...so I guess this is good-bye..." He slowly bowed.
Mariko's expression remained solid.
Espio then turned away. "Sayonara Mariko."
He began to walk out into the rain; each droplet like a dagger piercing into his scales. Suddenly, he was stopped in his tracks by a shuriken star zipping past his face. Another lightning strike.
Thunder boomed as Espio slowly turned back to Mariko. She was in the exact same position and expression as before and continued to stare at him.
"You're leaving?" She said softly.
"Y-Yes." Espio replied, still a little nervous after the shuriken strike. "The guards will be looking for me soon."
"I see. You got everything?"
"Y-Yes I do."
"Food?"
"I'm going to stop by the apple trees at the bottom of the mountain. I'll pack some apples there."
"Water?"
Espio just looked towards the rain and smiled.
"A map? Compass?" She continued.
"I guess I'll be doing a lot of hitch-hiking and asking for directions." He chuckled. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where to go from here."
Her scales slowly turned a light red shade. "Your murder weapon."
Espio turned back to her in shock. Lightning and thunder returned.
"What?" He murmured.
"Your katana blade." Her scales becoming redder and redder with each word she spoke. "The one found plunged into Master."
Espio watched her in confusion and concern.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten him already. If you're gonna murder someone Espio, at least have the respect to remember who he was!" She threw another shuriken star at him.
Espio quickly ducked down as it flew inches above him.
"You...You-" He gasped as he slowly rose back up.
"Really Espio?" She said, slowly walking towards him in the rain. She was wearing a traditional full black ninja suit, with the hood down. "Just because I was your friend Espio, doesn't mean I'll always have your back." She tossed another star at him. "Especially when you do something like /ithis/i!" She threw another.
He dropped to the soggy floor to dodge the blades. He shuffled back as Mariko walked closer. Her body almost glowed with the red colour.
"Why Espio? Were you really that upset last night? Was there no point in what I said to you?"
"I did not kill master, Mariko. You know that!"
"I used to believe a lot of things Espio. Some of the tales that Master Shen used to tell us when we were little, the thought that you were our friend…"
"You have to believe me now, Mariko. You just said that you thought I was your friend – reason from that."
"You've lied to us before Espio. Why should I believe you know?" Her hands began to tremble.
"I didn't kill Master Shen, Mariko!"
Mariko proceeded to bowl another Shuriken at him, simultaneously screaming "Stop, LYING to me!" She threw another and another.
Espio rolled and shuffled out from the incoming blades. "Mariko, listen to me. I didn't do it!"
More lightning, more thunder. She threw another three blades, screaming out "Usoda!"
"Well look at yourself then. Friendship doesn't go both ways Mariko – if you were my friend, you would have realised that what I'm saying is true."
"Urusai!" She shrieked back at him. Like a strike of lightning, she pulled out her two sais and lunged toward him.
He slid to the side, barely avoiding the attack. He was scratched slightly on the side.
Mariko crouched down, preparing her next attack. "I don't know what to believe...but I know what I must do." She snarled.
Espio had never seen her upset like this before. He just stared at her in fear, not knowing what to do.
"I must take you to justice." She spun the sais in her hand. "Even if it means ending you."
Espio's eyes widened. "Mariko...I don't want to fight you..." He said.
Lightning flashed again. The thunder that followed nearly tore the land apart with its mighty roar!
"NEITHER DID I!" She screamed, lunging forward at break-neck speed.
Espio jumped back – only just dodging the attack. But Mariko didn't stop there; she continued to swing her sais from side to side whilst running towards him in a blind fury.
Espio ran backwards away from the attack.
He then leapt over her, forcing her to stop. She stood up straight and tilted her head to the side to look at him.
"You can't do this Mariko." He said. "You may have beaten me at the koi pond, but I'm in my element now – I've got my katana. You know you can't beat me."
Mariko spun around, her sais spiralling in her hands again. "Let's test that theory of yours then." She bounded towards Espio, striking her sais into the ground. The force of the impact knocked him off of his feet.
"I don't want to fight you!" He yelled as thunder and lightning continued to present themselves in the background.
"Then die!" She screamed as she attempted to plunge the other sai into him.
He rolled out of the way.
"You said he was like a close uncle to you! Was that a lie as well?!" She growled.
"How many times do I have to say it?!" He snapped. "I didn't kill anyone!"
She pulled out her sais from the wet earth and screeched as she charged towards him. Espio pushed out his hand to stop her. His hand was then caught in-between the prongs and was flung into the mud.
"GAH!" He yelled in pain, shaking his wrist. "Mariko – don't do this! I'm innocent!"
She stood over him, snarling. She raised a sai in the air.
"L-liar!" She plunged it down, but Espio was quick to dodge yet again.
Espio swung behind her and pulled on her tail, driving her into the mud.
She roared out in frustration swinging out her arms as Espio ran off. Mariko quickly recovered and gave chase.
"Stop this Mariko!" He yelled back at her, dodging the kunai knives she was tossing at him.
He noticed that a small tree had just been struck by lightning and it fell into the fast flowing river. He leapt aboard, hoping Mariko would not follow.
"I'll never stop Espio." She called out, before leaping onto the tree. "You wanted to fight out in the field so much – well now you've got it. It's kill or be killed."
Espio glanced behind him. The rushing water would've thrown him violently to and fro. There was no other option. He had to fight her.
"Fine." He said, taking a defensive stance. "Come at me."
Mariko spun her sais again before rushing him. Her attack was countered by a quick, sweeping draw of his sword, knocking her back. The tree spun in the river from the impact force.
The two looked at the tree's path. Oncoming were violent river rapids.
"Shimatta…" They said, sheathing their weapons for the oncoming chaos.
The tree bumped against the rocks. It dropped and rolled over dips and small waterfalls. Using their powers of bio-magnetism, they clung onto the tree.
"Ahh!" Espio heard. It was Mariko – she had slipped of the tree and feel into the river.
"Mariko!" He yelled as he dove in after her.
Using every ounce of strength he had, he pulled her to the edge of the river, clinging on to the sides.
His bag broke and was washed away with the river.
"NO!" He called after it. His only evidence was gone, but that didn't matter now. His responsibility now was to protect Mariko and so he stayed on the cliff-face and attempted to climb up with her on his back. The winds grew stronger and stronger, but Espio finally hauled her unconscious body up to land.
He noticed her motionless body. "Oh no..." He murmured. "Mariko? Mariko!" He shook her, trying to get some sort of response.
She choked up some water and groaned.
"Oh, thank goodness." He said. "Are…Are you okay? You've taken on some pretty heavy bruises from those rapids."
"G…g…." She gurgled.
"W-what?"
"G…ga…" She muttered again before she muscled her eyes open "…got you!"
Espio's eyes widened as he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his arm. Mariko had taken her sai with her tail and plunged it into his shoulder.
"GRAGH!" He yelled out in pain, he staggered back before running away as fast as he could. He glanced back; surprised that he didn't see her behind him.
"Oh no..." He said faintly. He stopped running and scanned his surroundings "Mariko?" He said as he shifted around – looking for a sign of her. His heart was racing.
Her voice called out to him, but he didn't know where from. "You thought I was going to fall for your 'little hero' trick?!"
"Stop this Mariko. That's enough."
Shuriken came from his left – cutting his arm as he attempted to dodge. "GAH!"
"I'm not going to let you drag me into your treachery."
"Mariko, you can't be well after what you just went through with the rapids. You're in no condition to fight – you can't beat me!"
He quickly spun around and caught a kunai knife right in front of his face.
"How many of these do you have?!" He yelled out to the wind.
He focused his vision. He noticed the rain bouncing off an invisible object in front of him.
"This just makes the fight even – I still have the spirit of honour to aid me in this fight."
He grabbed hold of what were her arms as she sprung at him. She hissed as she regained visibility. She stepped back out of his grasp and prepared to strike down on him with both sai.
But she wasn't yet out of range and was struck by his sword, face-first, into the mud. Espio could hear the sounds of guards approaching in the distance.
"I've been detected – the noise must've alerted the people in the village." He said, re-sheathing his sword.
Mariko struggled back up.
"Stop this now. You can barely stand." Espio said sternly.
Mariko simply growled at him, attempting to limp over.
"It doesn't have to be this way Mariko." He said softly.
"Yes it does!" She screamed. "You killed Master Shen. After all he'd done for us, I can't let you dishonor him and just walk away from it."
"You have to let me explain Mariko."
"No! I'm not going to let you manipulate me into believing your lies!" She cried out. Tears had begun welling up in her.
"I do not want to fight you Mariko!" Espio snapped.
"You should've thought of that before you killed Master Shen." She growled. She shook away the pain in her body. "I won't stop chasing you! You'll have to kill me!"
Espio glared at her in disbelief. "W-What are you saying?" He said.
"Kill me…or die yourself!" She spun into the air with her sais, missing as Espio leapt backwards.
They found themselves at the tree; the sakura overhanging the cliff-drop from last night.
He checked his wound from the sai. It was deep, painful, but it wasn't critical.
"This is it Espio." Mariko yelled out. She was breathing heavily; her legs barely supported her anymore.
"Mariko...you are not well. You must return home and lie down."
"URUSAI!" She shrieked as she lunged at him on the branch.
"No, really. The rain, the river have probably infected your wounds now – you're only going to get worse."
"I said Shut-Up!"
Espio back-stepped along the branches as Mariko stepped menacingly towards him.
"Mariko, no!" Espio shouted. "You could get hurt up here."
"None of that matters anymore!" She slashed at him, but Espio leapt onto another branch.
Lightning struck again.
"Not whilst we're on the tree..." He mumbled towards the storm.
He unsheathed his sword and chopped the branch Mariko was stood on in a single swipe. But she, to his shock and surprise, somersaulted onto his own branch as hers fell to the world below."
CRACKKURR! Thunder bellowed through the mountains again.
She drove her sai deep into Espio's other shoulder!
"GACKK!"
Mariko pulled back as Espio stepped back, holding his shoulder with intense pain. He winced and dropped his sword down the cliff.
He looked below him – seeing a great drop. He looked up back to an enraged Mariko.
"Well...I guess this is it..." He whispered. "Mariko…I'm sorry."
Her eyes widened with realization of what she had just done. The branch began to snap. Time stopped.
She slowly reached out to him as the branch broke and Espio drifted down below.
"No..." She muttered. "E-ESPIOOOO!"
Lightning struck the tree.
"GAH!" She screamed as she leapt off of the tree and back onto land.
She spun back around. Tears trickled down her face. She sniffled.
"E-Espio..." She murmured softly. "What have I done? Why…Why didn't I listen to him?"
Instead of falling to his death, Espio had actually clung onto the cliff-face, turning invisible to conceal himself. He listened to what she said.
"I…I never wanted to kill you. I…I just couldn't bear to think it was you – I didn't want to be in a world like that!"
Espio gasped; his grip nearly slipping on the wet cliff-face. He could then hear the sounds of guards approaching.
"He's...He's gone..." She dropped her sais and collapsed to the ground.
"HEY! We need some help over here!" A guard called out as he and his men rushed over to her aid.
"Mar...iko..." Espio murmured. He began to become faint from his injuries and slipped off of the cliff-face, brushing through trees and bamboo, before finally landing into the rushing river below.
"Hey, did you hear that?" One guard said to the others. "It might be him!"
A group split off to investigate."Mariko!" Aya had arrived on the scene. "What happened to her?" She rushed over and began shaking her body.
"She's badly injured." One of the guards said. "That plus the rain, she could be suffering from pneumonia. She won't make it unless we get her medical attention now."
Espio proceeded to be thrown down the rough river toward the bottom of the mountain.
He was then gently pushed by the current onto a river bank. Alongside him were his bag and his sword. He remained unconscious.
The rain finally cleared, revealing the sun.