A/N: So this kinda based in the Edo period. Samurai's and shoguns and stuff so I've used their Japanese names (Takao and Hiromi). Thanks to chibi-yachiru-chan and .linda for reviewing. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: You have no idea how much I wish I owned Beyblade.
Two
(Edo Period)
He was the man she was supposed to kill.
He was the man she was in love with.
It had been a cold winter night. Her mother told her to wait in the corner of the street as she went about her business. Being an obedient child, Hiromi did as she was told. Her mother smiled warmly at her and told her that she will be back in a few minutes. And even after two whole days, there was no sign of the older lady. But Hiromi was an obedient child, so she did as she was told. She waited in the corner, wrapping the thin cloak around her body as tightly as possible, fishing out food from the dumpster. Sometimes sitting, sometimes standing, she waited quietly.
After all she was an obedient child.
Even after she was captured by slave traders and sold off to some shogun, she still visited that street corner, hoping to find her dear mother waiting for her with that same smile on her face. Her master often told her that her mother had abandoned her. But Hiromi refused to believe that. Her mother had smiled at her. She never would've done such a cruel thing if she was planning to leave the little girl behind. And that's why Hiromi went back to that street. Even though she knew that her mother was dead, she still went back.
After all she was an obedient child.
She had been six years old when she was sold off, and ten years later she was still loyal to her master. He had taught her everything she knew. And to show her gratitude, she had decided to put her life on the line for him.
The first few years at her master's palace like house had been rough on her. Every time she tried to sneak into the lessons held for the master's son, she was beaten and sent back to the kitchen. The sensei always told her that women belonged in the kitchen. That their only duty was to cook and clean. Even after the Master decided that she was smarter than any of his sons and that she needed to be educated, the sensei would always yell the same thing again and again, until it was stuck in her head.
But there were times when despite what her mind told her, she disobeyed.
She wanted to prove to the master that she was worth the money he spent on her. She wanted to prove to the sensei that she was just as good at swordsmanship as the other boys, if not better. She wanted to prove to the world that she could be something, the she was not insignificant.
And so she joined the shogun's private security guard.
At the age of sixteen, Hiromi was fighting wars. She was the one leading their army. She was the one making the decisions, deciding their strategies and she was the one who was winning. The more she fought the more she realized that she was not a part if the clan. No matter how much the master praised her, no matter how much he claimed that she was his daughter, she wasn't. She wasn't one of them, and she never would. She was made to lead them and not join them and that's why when she first saw him, her hand hesitated. She lowered her katana and she hesitated. For the first time in years, she did not want to strike, she did not want to kill.
She did not want to obey.
The ten men that were supposed to be her back up were easily slayed with one slash. This was the first time she had ever seen such a beautiful katana. To Hiromi, the katana has always been a tool which made her much stronger. It was something she used to kill people, not something she treasured. If it broke, she'll just get a new one. She didn't think it important to place any sentimental value in a weapon. But as she helplessly stared at the beautiful blade pointed towards her, she could feel something bubbling inside her chest. She could feel the need to hold that blade. That blade which was shining brightly in the moonlight, the dragon that was engraved on the blade clearly visible. But once the effect of the dragon wore of she noticed that the word looked battered and slightly shipped from the edges. The engraved dragon was the only thing making that sword worth something.
The dragon and it's wielder of course.
"I surrender."
She couldn't stop the words from leaving her mouth because she knew she didn't stand a chance against him. And the last thing she wanted was to die while she was still a slave. So she dropped her katana and put her hands in the air. The smirk that replaced the determination on his face almost made her pick up her blade again but her will to stay alive made sure that she stood still.
He lowered his blade slightly, still not believing her words. Truth be told, Hiromi couldn't believe them either. Her orders had been to find the rumoured samurai that was taking down armies single-handedly and make sure that he disappeared off the face of earth. She had found him alright. And the rumours had been true. She could picture that blade taking down their clan's strongest squads in just a few strikes. She didn't want to be on the receiving end of that strike. So she surrendered.
His deep brown eyes summed her up and his smirk turned into a cheeky grin as he noticed the metal band on her left ankle, "Changing sides?"
She remained silent.
He sheathed his mesmerising blade and continued to grin at her, "Well I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to." He slightly pulled up his hakama and Hiromi gasped in surprise. There it was on his left ankle, the same metal band.
When she looked up at him again, he was smiling softly, "I know who you work for. I could use a spy."
And that smile was all it took for her to turn her back on her master and join forces with the stranger.
And again, she disobeyed.
She worked with him over the course of a few years to take down all the big people of their kingdom. She helped him save hundreds and hundreds of slaves. All the while, still working for her master.
During those years, she constantly felt like she was being watched. At first she thought that the master knew about her betrayal and was just waiting for her to slip and catch her red-handed. But the more assassinations they pulled off, the more she felt like her master was helpless and unaware. She took this opportunity to make herself more comfortable, gaining access to some very useful information. But the feeling of being watched was ever present.
And in those four years, she fell in love with the man who had saved her from loneliness. At the beginning, he barely trusted her and most of their meetings ended up with her storming off in the opposite direction because he refused to tell her anything about himself. For at least about a year, she didn't even know his name. All she knew about him was the way he fought. And that was all it took for her to fall for him. Every time he unsheathed his katana her heart would start beating faster than normal. A couple of times he had to save her because she was too busy admiring him. He looked at her with a questioning look and she would just blush and look away.
It was the day he told her his name when she finally found the courage to look him in the eyes and tell him that she loved him. She never waited for him to reply, thinking that he won't say it back. But he did say it back. He shouted it out for the world to hear. Which earned them a few odd stares from the scarcely populated street and she didn't understand whether she should get mad at him for doing something so stupid or just embrace him. So she did both, his playful laugh ringing in her ears as she sobbed on his shoulder. She didn't understand why the tears were falling because she had never felt so happy before. She had never felt so loved before.
Takao, meaning respectful hero. He was her hero.
But despite the protection and warmth that radiated off of Takao whenever she was with him, the feeling of being watched was still there. Whenever she spent the night with Takao, she would lie awake in bed wondering whether she should share her concern with him. But it would always end up with her falling into a deep slumber and not remembering what she had decided on in the morning.
Two days before their final attack, she spontaneously decided to tell him.
"You feel like you're being watched?" He asked, his warm brown eyes filling with concern.
She nodded.
"By whom?"
She shook her head, "I don't know. I just know that there is someone or something following me around."
His eyes flashed for a moment, but the emotion vanished before she could recognize it. Anger, worry, pain? She couldn't tell.
"Don't worry about it. It's all going to be over soon anyways."
She took his advice and simply pushed that feeling aside concentrating solely on their final quest.
Everything went according to their plan. The master had given her permission to enter his chambers at any time if it was an emergency. And well, this was an emergency. The rumoured samurai was taking down their forces, heading for the master. Trusting Hiromi, he allowed her to lead him towards safety. Instead, she led him towards his death.
The master's body was lying at her feet, covered in cuts and bruises, unmoving and lifeless. They had succeeded but something just wasn't right. Because someone was watching her, just this time it wasn't from the behind.
The dragon's eyes were glittering, staring right at her. She felt confused. Why was Takao standing in front of her with his beautiful blade? Why did it feel like that the dragon on the katana wasn't just a crafty engraving? Why did it feel like that this was the end?
"This is the end." Takao whispered, tears streaming down his face.
"What do you…"She trailed off.
It happened very quickly. One moment, Takao was standing right in front of her and the next his sword had gone through her stomach. She watched the blood ooze out from her abdomen, colouring her hands red as she touched the injury.
"I'm sorry." She could hear him sob, "I'm sorry, I had no choice."
She fell to the ground, her vision blurring.
"It made me do it. I have to do what it says. I'm sorry."
His voice was fading, as if he was standing far away and not kneeling down next to her. As she slowly closed her eyes, all she saw was the empty street corner.
He was the man she had fallen in love with.
He was the man who killed her.
-x-
A/N: So that was fun. Or not. I think I just cried a lot. So leave a review and make me happy!
