Disclaimer: Hakuouki is a visual novel game by Idea Factory. (They make a bunch of cute guys! Drools. So I always look up new series just so I can stare at them~) Hakuouki then is adapted into an Anime by Studio DEEN. And today, the Anime series is licensed by Sentai Filmworks in North America. (I got this information from Wikipedia and I believe the information is accurate. I wouldn't know though!)

"Forever" will not keep us connected

Chapter 3

Putting on dark green clothes, Saburo was ready for second day. He walked out of a small worn out house and he was just in time to see his friends with the other two guys heading to the exit of the empty village. Beyond the exit was the forest.

"What about breakfast?" Saburo called to them.

Everyone stopped walking, but only Ayumu walked forward. Sanosuke and Yumeko looked back to Saburo and Kyou only gave him a glance. Yumeko waved, "We'll go and hunt something for ourselves along the way." Tied to her back was a black bag, which held a cylinder object.

"Oh," Saburo felt lonely and waved back. "Be careful out there then…"

Sanosuke nodded with a smile, "We will. And take care of Souji for me while I'm gone."

Nodding with a small smile, Saburo said, "Okay."

With a light chuckle, Kyou moved first without a word. Eventually Sanosuke and Yumeko both went along with the two in the front and never looked back.

[…^…]

Letting out a big sigh, Saburo was watching from the side while Souji and Kanon were at it again. The three of them were just finished with breakfast too, which took almost two hours to make. "Can't we all just get along?" Saburo voiced over their battle cries.

In Souji's right hand, he had a wooden stick and was aiming close to her body. But she dodged them successfully each time. His stomach ached from the wound, but forced himself to hit the crap out of her. Swinging with care, he realized her all of her evasion were smooth and on time.

Leaping backwards, Kanon did a back flip and her feet pause on the ground. Souji rested his arms as he glared at her. "If you keep trying to do this every day, you won't be able to entirely heal within a few days," Kanon pouted at his stubbornness.

"I don't need to be in a good condition to take down a brat like you," Souji told her. A vein appeared on her head when he labeled her as a 'brat'. He swung his wooden stick in front of him and held it with both hands. Narrowing his eyes, she yawned to mock him. "I don't have time to play around with you any longer," he said, his eye color becoming from green to red.

Bending her knees to lower herself a bit, she stared as Souji's hair turned white. "I can see you're very serious about this," she frowned. 'What kind of power is that?' Her heart started to beat faster at the fear of his death glare. He was really meaning to finish her off.

Worried, Saburo was anxious to jump in. He did not desire any of them to get hurt.

"Even if you're barehanded, even if you're a girl," Souji breathed heavily. His body was going to be weak again. He had to finish this today. "I won't hold back."

"Ha, good luck beating me up to death then," she grinned. She shook her hands to lose the fear.

Souji moved first. Saburo gasped at Souji's sudden change of speed and he walked forward. But then Saburo tripped and landed on his face.

First, the wooden stick struck from his left side. Unable to dodge it in time, Kanon stepped back and used her right arm to block it. The impact of Souji's strength stung her and her bone shivered in pain. Quickly raising her left leg, she kicked him in the shoulder and he slightly fell off to his left. But he stood his ground and she took her chance to distance herself from him.

"Arrrgggg!" Souji charged forward, thrusting the wooden stick to her chest.

Kanon just regained her balance from kicking and glared into his eyes. Barely dodging, the wooden stick had hit just above where her heart was. 'OW!' she slapped the wooden stick away annoyingly. Souji slightly lost grip of his footing and fell forward to her. She snapped her eyes at him and he tumbled over her. "Whoa!" she cried before her head hit the ground.

"Guys!" Saburo got up from his feet. His mouth dropped when he saw the moment they fell on the ground together.

"Get off!" Kanon elbowed Souji's skull. He grunted from her blow and she simply pushed him off with two hands. Souji rolled on his back and panted, trying to breathe in air. Kanon sat up and sighed heavily. She looked to him and his hair and eye color changed back. "Had enough for today yet?" she poked his arm.

"Ah…" he breathed, waving his hand to slap her away. "Yeah… for now…"

Saburo rushed to them. "This isn't going to go anywhere," he told them, putting his hands on his hips. "Kanon-hime, can't we just go with him and the others?"

"Be quiet," Kanon flattened her eyes at him. "This is my home. I'm never leaving."

Still trying to catch his breath, Souji looked over to the two of them curiously.

"Everyone won't be coming back anymore," Saburo frowned, slapping his own face. "We can't just stay—"

Kanon got up and dusted herself. "I'm going to go and take a bath at the river," she said, walking passed Saburo. With her pouting face, she walked away quickly. "Make sure Souji doesn't go anywhere, Saburo!"

"Geez," Saburo looked after her with a concerned expression.

Sitting up, Souji narrowed his eyes at Kanon's back. Then she disappeared behind a house. '…This isn't going to get anywhere,' Souji cited Saburo's words. The more time he spent here, the less time he would have to search for his friends out there. Anything could have happened to them by now.

"Okita-san, I'm sorry about Kanon-hime's behavior," Saburo slightly bowed. He then gave Souji a smile and held his hand down to him. "But I'll convince her for you."

Souji looked up at him and slowly took his hand. "There's no need," he said as Saburo pulled him up to his feet. Souji took a note that Saburo's hand was firm and strong. '…I'll have to take different measures to leave this place as soon as possible,' Souji turned to head back to the shed. He needed his strength back first. Even for a minute, he would use the time now to regain some of his energy back.

[…^…]

There was a brown rabbit that walked out of its home from underground. And then suddenly a knife flew right through its body and pinned it to the ground.

Yumeko took her time to walk up to the dead animal and picked up the rabbit by the ears. "Here's our breakfast," she called, looking behind her.

From behind the tree, Ayumu walked out and leaned against the trunk with his shoulder. Sansouke appeared on the other side with an impressed smile. "You're good at throwing knifes around," Sanosuke commented.

"Thank you," she simply nodded. Her eyes now looked up at the tree where Kyou was. He sat on the branch and paid no attention to them. "Kyou, you sure you don't want to eat with us?"

"I'm good," Kyou waved his hand to dismiss her. "Don't concern yourself with me."

Ayumu gave her a disapproving expression. "You already asked him five times. Forgot about him," he told her.

"Just being nice," Yumeko shrugged to him, walking off to look around. "I remember hearing the river over there… Can someone find firewood?"

"I got it," Sanosuke volunteered.

Yumeko blinked and glanced back when Sanosuke went off on his own. "Ayumu, go and help him," she ordered.

"He won't go far," Ayumu looked away.

She faced over to him and blinked again. "That's what I'm worried about," she said. "Go with him, please. Just in case."

Ayumu grunted and turned around, going in the same direction where Sanosuke headed.

With a small smile, Yumeko continued on her own way. Kyou jumped off the tree and called, "Will you tell me how Ayumu revived Harada back to life now?"

She did not stop walking. "No," she told him firmly. "Not without Ayumu's permission."

Kyou grinned, "Tsk."

[…^…]

Outside of the shed, Saburo was serving a hot teapot with three emptied cups. He smiled happily, hoping to cheer Souji up with the warm drink. And just as Saburo walked in, he said, "Okita-san! I got—"

From behind, Souji used the wooden stick and hit it at the back of Saburo's neck. The jet-black haired guy lost consciousness and fell forward. The hot teapot spilled to the side and the tea splashed on the wall and the floor.

"Sorry, Saburo-kun," Souji mumbled quietly, throwing the wooden stick away. Just seeing the poor guy falling like that left a slight regret. "But I have to go and find Hijikata-san and the others."

Souji walked out the door and wobbled for a second. The strength he used was all up again. He snickered to himself for not being able to move how he used too, but he wanted to hurry. Telling his feet to move, he jogged toward the exit of the emptied village.

[…^…]

In a small river, Kanon just tied her waistband over her black and blue kimono. "Phew, that feels nice!" she smiled happily. Stretching her arms out, her body felt so much more relaxed. But then the thought of seeing Souji made her muscles tingle. "Time to head back… Maybe I was out a little too long."

The moment she took a step, her knees became weak and she fell on them. She was falling forward, but used her palms to keep her up. Shocked, she was dead silent and her body begun trembling. Her vision blurred and she suddenly coughed out blood.

"Damn," she narrowed her eyes. She wiped the blood on her mouth with her sleeve. "Did Souji escape from Saburo?" she asked herself. Unable to support herself, she fell on her side. Panting, her body begun to sweat. "I just took a freaking bath," she grunted painfully.

Her nails dug the ground. No one was around to help her. She tried to crawl and coughed out more blood.

"Sa… Saburo!" she tried to call out. Tears filled her eyes and she shut them. "Yumeko? …Ayumu!"

[…^…]

Around the firewood, the three guys were waiting for Yumeko to come back while Sanosuke was trying to make a fire. It was not long when Yumeko returned from skinning the rabbit, and also carrying a pot of water, which she had carried in her black bag from before. She stopped a few yards from the guys when she noticed Ayumu looking in the direction of the village.

"…Ayumu?" Yumeko stared at him emotionlessly.

His eyes glared and he looked over to them. "Something feels wrong," he said. "Pack up. We're going back to the village."

Kyou glanced to him and Sanosuke got up from working with the firewood. "Did something happen?" Sanosuke inquired with a serious face.

It was just a bad feeling and the feeling was getting Ayumu furious. He ignored the question and hurried off back to the way to the village.

Yumeko put the dead rabbit into the pot of water. "Kyou, Sanosuke," she looked at him, going after Ayumu. "Let's go back first."

"Why are you calling us by our first names?" Kyou questioned curiously with a smirk. Though he did not mind, but he simply wondered if she was just being rude to say their first names like that.

Sanosuke patted on Kyou's shoulder and said, "Let's just go. Ayumu looked worried."

Watching everyone going off first, Kyou shrugged, "Fine. Whatever."

On the pathless road, Ayumu ran faster. His long legs carried him more far off than the ones behind him and he continued to go even faster. Yumeko called to him, but he pretended not to hear. They were not even two miles away from the village so it should not be long before he saw the village.

However, what he saw first was Souji's figure.

Noticing Ayumu and the others were hurrying back, Souji wondered what was going on. And then he saw the glare from Ayumu's face and Souji embraced himself what was going to turn out next.

"Souji, what the hell are you doing out here alone?!" Ayumu exclaimed.

'Another person who does not want me to leave,' Souji stopped walking and Ayumu approached him, gripping on Souj's shirt. "I don't have time to talk to you," Souji narrowed his eyes at him.

Ayumu stared angrily, "You're not allowed to be away from Kanon for more than half of a mile. Go back, now."

Souji said, "I'm not going to listen—" Ayumu pulled on the collar and begun dragging Souji back to where the village was. "HEY!"

While Souji was struggling with no strength, Ayumu bit his lower lip. "If anything happens to Kanon, I'll kill you," he murmured deathly. "How did you get out without any supervision?"

Not capable of freeing himself, Souji could only be dragged with his feet. "I knocked Saburo out," he said, grunting and choking a bit.

"And Kanon?" Ayumu glanced back with cold eyes.

Trying to get Ayumu's hand off of him, Ayumu let him go and turned around to him. Souji replied, "She went to take a bath."

"A… bath?" Ayumu slowly said, his bangs covering his eyes. That meant she went to the river and the way there was a little far.

Now the other three behind had almost caught up. Yumeko's eyes snapped wide open and she made a quick dash. Ayumu raised his fist and wanted to punch Souji, but then Yumeko pushed Ayumu back and held him away from Souji.

"Then that means…!" Ayumu shouted, his eyes filled with rage and as well as concern.

Yumeko closed her eyes and Ayumu tried to push her away, grabbing her shoulders. "Ayumu, calm down!" she told him loudly, digging her heels into the ground.

"This bastard hurt Kanon!" Ayumu roared angrily, gritting his teeth.

At the same time Sanosuke and Kyou got to them, they could only stand in confusion. Souji was the same and it made no sense what Ayumu just said.

"Ayumu, please!" Yumeko tightly hugged around his body. "Find Kanon first! Hurry!"

Realization hit him and he could only glare at Souji for a few seconds. His body relaxed a bit and Yumeko slowly let him go. With one harder glare, Ayumu turned around to return to the village.

"What was that about?" Kyou inquired, watching Ayumu running as if his life depended on it.

"Souji, did you do something?" Sanosuke walked up from behind him. "You hurt Kanon, he said?"

"Of course not," Souji raised an eyebrow to him. "I have no idea what he's talking about. I only knocked Saburo-kun out when that girl wasn't around."

The three men eventually looked over to Yumeko, who did not face them and her eyes were at the ground. She sighed, "I wish I can say this… but I'm not allowed to." Lifting her head, she glanced to them. "I'm sorry, but can we go back to the village first? I'll make Ayumu explain about their heritage."

Kyou smirked, "About how Ayumu can revive people from the dead?"

"I can't guarantee the details for your question," she looked away. Taking the first step, she added, "But that does have something to do with it, yes."

"Reviving the dead?" Souji questioned.

Kyou grinned and followed Yumeko on his own interest.

Sanosuke slightly looked away with uncertainties. After a moment, he walked beside Souji and said, "Shiranui said that Ayumu used a strange power that brought me back from the dead… remember? I would assume Kanon-chan did the same to you."

"…I didn't ask her to, Sano-san," Souji said, looking at him.

"Are you saying you don't feel the slightest gratitude to be alive?" Sanosuke inquired, looking at him seriously. "You never thanked her? …Look, you're not even sick anymore."

Souji blinked, "So you've noticed."

Nodding, Sanosuke patted on his back, "Of course I did. If this girl did all of this for you, do you still feel nothing towards her?" There was a long pause and Souji had no emotion. Before Souji opened his mouth, Sanosuke said, "First, we head back to the village. Let's check what the fuss was about."

"Tsk," Souji looked away with disapproval. Sanosuke patted his back again and Souji nodded. "Fine."

Thanks for reading!