So quick piece of info this is meant to be a follow up to my "Kotori's Samurai" story though you don't need to read it for it to make sense. Also this story doesn't have to be connected so if you liked the ending of "Kotori's Samurai" and want to keep the two stories seprate then you can.

Now to the story, hope you like it.

Umi stood in front of a sakura tree as she remembered a night, a night that made her feel the happiest in her life, but as she thought on it the happiness of that night turned to ash in a second as a petal landed on her nose.

'All because of that day.' Umi thought to herself as she looked at the petal.

"Umi?" asked a concerned voice.

"Lady Eli, sorry I didn't hear you." Umi stood up and bowed.

"Umi how many times do I have to tell you to drop the Lady?"

"It's force of habit, besides, you are my Lady now."

"You know it was never like that between us and it will you know that right?"

"Maybe, but that was then and this is now."

"How long are you going to be like this?"

"Who I was before and who I am now are two different things and two different people and that's all there is to it."

"It isn't and you know it."

"What happened has happened nothing you say will change that for me, now is there something I can do for you my Lady?"

Eli sighed as she bit her lip "You really are the stubborn type sometimes; I'm riding to the border of our land tomorrow I need you along with Maki and Nico for escort."

"Of course and who are we escorting?"

"Some old friends, Lady Minami and our friends from her land are coming to see Nozomi about a treaty."

"I see." Umi sighed as she looked away.

"Koto…"

"Don't!" Umi glared as she interrupted the blonde "Do not even think about mentioning her name."

"Have you not forgiven her?"

"It's not that, now Lady Ayase if there's nothing else you need then I shall go prepare." Umi bowed as she walked off, leaving a rather frustrated Eli.

As she entered her sparse quarters she looked around, her bow was laying on the floor, its arrows not too far, next to the bow was a mat with her Naginata on the other side all in front of shrine. Umi ran a hand thorugh her now shorter hair, her once long flowing hair had been cut back, it now looked more like Maki's or Hanayo's. Umi sighed and walked to the mat and kneeled in front of the shrine "Protect my friend's father." Umi asked the shrine.

(Next day)

The four girls set out early that day to meet their charges, the lands nearby were restless of late and so they had to take precautions.

Umi looked at her fellow riders at the front and leading was Eli in her yellow and white armour, next to her in pink and gold was Maki, riding on the back of Maki's horse in her usual black attire was Nico.

"I still don't get why I had to ride with her." Nico moaned.

"Look, it's not like I wanted you riding on my horse, but we needed to take you along, now stop whining or your walking." Maki countered.

"Why are we even escorting her anyway?" Nico asked, "Surely she has enough guards herself."

"She does, but it would seem rude to not send someone to meet them, besides, we need people with them who know the land."

"Hence why you're here." Maki stated.

"Indeed and since she has a lot of enemies, I need my best warriors for escort."

"I'm pretty sure our Tsunami here could take them all." Maki said as the group all looked back to Umi.

"Even I can be defeated my Ladies." Umi spoke for the first time this trip.

"Oi, we're friends, you can drop the titles around us." Maki looked back at Umi sympathetically.

"This is an official duty, its expected and we're nearby so try not embarrass Lady Nozomi or you know what she'll do."

The rest of the way down the path the group was quite, as she rode Umi looked down at her own armour, black and white, it wasn't a full set, only enough to cover her chest the rest of her clothing was white cloth, unlike Eli and Maki she had no helmet just a black head band and she was the only one wearing a mask partly this was for protection but she had it on for another reason and soon that reason came into view.

As the party of Samurai and ladies came into view Nico jumped off the horse, it wouldn't really do for a Ninja to be around a formal Samurai meeting and this was also Umi's signal to drop back, leaving Eli and Maki to ride up alone.

"You know she…"

"Don't Nico." Umi sighed "It won't change it."

"You stubborn girl." Nico sighed under her breath.

(Eli)

"Lady Minami," Eli great with a bow "good to see you well."

"Thank you, Eli." The elder woman smiled "It is good to see you both after so long, I wish our meeting were under better circumstances though."

"I'm sure you would." Eli heard Maki mutter under her breath.

"Shall we get going, Lady Tojo wishes to see you as soon as she can?"

"Yes, please lead the way."

Eli turned and put her hand in the air and waved to the two people behind her on the path, they dispersed, the one on foot running up the side of the hill and began walking back the way they had come through the trees, the one on horseback turned and galloped off.

Maki rode to the back of Lady Minami's group and Eli moved next to the lady as they began to ride back to the castle.

"That girl on the horse, was that…"

"Yes, it was." Eli sighed.

"How is she?"

"Lost, what happened has left her with a wound that will never heal."

"A wounded heart can heal; it just requires the right person to do it."

"With respect, my lady I don't think that will work."

"I remain to be convinced"

"She can't fix this, you're not looking at a person who isn't just sad and lonely, you're looking at someone at war with themselves." Eli sighed as she saw the object of their conversation ride off into the trees 'Even if I want this to be fixed, I don't believe it so.' Eli thought to herself.

(Maki)

Maki rode passed Lady Minami and to the back where four horses were with riders.

"Maki, nice to see you Nya."

"Yes, it's been too long."

"Rin, Hanayo, yes it has been too long." Maki smiled at the pair.

"Hey we're here too."

Maki turned to see Honoka smiling at her, Maki smiled back although she wouldn't admit it openly, she did miss the ginger, then her eyes feel on the person riding next to Honoka and Maki's smile dropped.

"Honoka, Kotori." Maki said with a glare at the latter "I see your doing well."

"Yes, indeed, is it just you two with us?" Honoka asked.

"No, Nico's ahead in the woods just in case."

"Doesn't give us much warning of an ambush."

"Well, we do have another person with us in case."

"Who?" asked Kotori.

Maki glared at Kotori "Tsunami."

"Wait your brough her all the way here, oh she's a legend." Honoka shouted.

"Yeah she took on five samurai at once and cut them all down without a scratch." Kotori smiled.

'You wouldn't be smiling if you knew who she was!' Maki yelled in her head.

"She sounds scary Nya; I wouldn't like to fight her."

"I wouldn't want you fighting her either." Hanayo smiled at Rin.

As the group rode down the path the group chatted and caught up with each other. All the while Maki kept an eye on Kotori.

"Erm, Maki are you ok?"

"Yes, why do you ask?" Hanayo asked in a whisper.

"You keep staring at Kotori."

"Oh, well let's just say my feelings on her are not great." Maki glared at the ashen girl.

"You mean about Umi?"

"Yes."

Before Hanayo could reply, Nico came running out the trees "Trouble!" she wheezed "Ambush up ahead."

"How many?" Eli asked.

"Ten."

Maki rode up to the front next to Eli "What about...?"

"Sprung the ambush."

"That, blasted idiot!" Maki screamed as she drew her blade and rode off at a calliope.

"Maki, wait!" Eli shouted after her.

(Eli)

Eli sighed she had to admit Maki was right "Nico, hope on, Lady Minami, stay here till we send word." Eli said as she pulled the Ninja onto the horse and rode off after Maki.

"Maki's worse than Umi sometimes!" Nico shouted as the pair rode.

"Oh, you worried about Maki, are you?"

"Shut up I'm worried about both of them, not just Maki."

It didn't take them long to catch Maki, the trio rode as fast as they could as they turned the corner, they saw Umi parry one of the ambushers swords with her Naginata before she counter trust. Eli looked on the ground she saw two men slumped by sides of the roads she also saw three others laying on both edges of the road shot by arrows.

Maki made to ride in but Eli stopped her "She'll hate you if you do that." Eli sighed.

"So we wait?" Maki shouted exasperated.

"Yes, as much as I hate it to, we wait, till she's done one way or the other."

Just as Umi recovered her stance Lady Minami and her party tuned up.

"My lady I told you to stay."

"I will not cower from my foes."

"Is that the Tsunami?" Hanayo asked.

"Yes, that's her." Eli replied as saw another ambusher with a spear tried to trust at Umi, Umi took a step to the side dodging and countered hitting the man in the back.

"Wow she moves like water Nya." Rin shouted.

"She kind of looks familer." Kotori said.

The next one fired an arrow as Umi was dispatching the other man Umi dodged to the side the arrow whooshing past her, Umi took a breath before she charged the other two, the archer took another shot, Umi managed to dodge the arrow only just catching her arm and giving her a small cut.

The swordsman that was protecting the archer tried to slash down on Umi but she cut him down before the blade came close, Umi looked and saw the archer fire again this one hit her mask and chracked it making her stagger.

Just as Umi recovered and began to charge the archer fired again the arrow flying over Umi's shoulder, the archer tried to drop her bow and run but Umi caught her and cut her down like the rest of the group.

As Umi returned to the others her shattered mask fell off, revealing who she really was.

(Umi)

Umi walked back a stinging pain in her side 'One of those swords mens strikes must have brusied, doesn't feel like it did any major damage though.' Umi thought as she picked up her bow which she'd discarded after she'd left her horse and fought on foot.

"That was bloody reckless!" Maki shouted, "Are you trying to die?"

"You know that answer Lady Maki." Umi replied as she whistled and her horse came back.

"Umi?" came Honoka's voice.

Umi turned as the horse came up to her, she could see all her old friends looking at her astonished "Hello My Ladies, I'm glad your well." Umi smiled as she mounted her horse "Now I will continue riding ahead, forgive me."

"Umi." Came a soft gentle voice, a voice Umi knew all too well, before that voice would make her happy filled with joy, now it made her feel like she was being pulled apart.

"Apologies my ladies I can't stay, I need to make sure there's no more of them." Umi said as she rode off.

(Kotori)

"Umi wait!" but it was too late she'd already rode at full gallop down the path.

Kotori had seen Umi's white clothes were stained blood red some of those she'd fought and some her own.

Kotori saw Maki ride up her an evil scowl on her face "This is you, both of you." Maki hissed as she rode to the back of the group refusing to look at either Kotori or her mother.

Eli rode up to Kotori with a down cast look "Come on we need to move." Eli sighed.

"What about Umi?" Honoka asked.

"We can discuse that later." Eli ordered ignoring the question.

'Umi, I'm sorry, forgive me.' Kotori thought as a single tear rolled down her cheek as she looked the way the Blunette had rode off.

Ooh Maki seems upset about something, I wonder what Kotori did, also don't worry it will have a happy ending. Don't hate me for Kotori doing something bad she did have a reason, put the pitchforks down.

Third years: 26 years old

Second years: 25 years old

First years: 24 years old

Now for who's what:

Daimyo:

Nozomi

Lady Minami

Samurai:

Eli

Maki

Rin

Honoka

Yukiho (Not appeared yet)

Lady's:

Kotori

Hanayo

Tsubasa (Not appeared yet)

Alisa (Not appeared yet)

Ninja:

Nico

Ronin:

Umi