Before we begin i just want to say a bign thank to all of you who left comments, i actually had a whole load of technical problems putting this story up and i was on the verge of going "This stories cursed leave it." when i finally got it up so to all of you who commented thank you, you made it wroth while i also hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Anyway i hope you enjoy and let me know of any mistakes and any tips.

The rest of the ride to the Tojo castle was quiet and tense, all the girls having mixed emotions having seen Umi again.

'I hope those two will be ok.' Eli thought in her head as she led Lady Minami and her party to Nozomi's council chamber.

Eli pulled the door open and bowed as she walked into the chamber, at the chamber was Nozomi sitting watching her guests. Lady Minami and the party followed Eli into the room and bowed.

"Please, come in and take a seat." Nozomi beckoned the guests inside, Eli sat to Nozomi's right, Maki one down from her, Lady Minami sat to Nozomi's left Kotori and Honoka sat next to her, Rin and Hanayo sat next to Maki. After they had sat down Lady Minami spoke first.

"Lady Tojo, thank you for seeing us and I am glad you are doing well."

"Thank you, Lady Minami, now shall we skip the pleasantries."

"Yes, you know of one of my advisers Kira Motonori and his recent rebellion."

"What of it?" Nozomi asked.

"His rebellion has gained ground on us, we're being defeated, we lost three castles the last week alone."

"And what do you want from us?" Eli asked.

"I need your help to defeat him."

"And what makes you think we'll help?" Maki growled "Your adviser did far more then start a rebellion against you."

"I know that your angry over what happened, but you know Kira won't stop at just taking my land he wants yours to, besides I thought you would have liked the idea of taking down Kira."

Maki clenched her fist "So having first done what you did to Umi, you now want to bring us and her back into your troubles, because you didn't listen in the first place, it's been five years."

"Maki," Kotori countered "We all regret what happened, but now we have the chance to make it right."

Maki jumped to her feet "I find you saying that highly offensive."

Lady Minami stood up to "If you have issue with what happened, then you should have issue with me not Kotori."

"She is just as guilty as you and her crimes are far worse." Maki glared at the ashen girl, who looked down.

"Thank you, ladies." Nozomi interrupted "Eli, why don't you take the girls out to the gardens I'm sure they would enjoy the scenery, me and Lady Minami have a lot to discuss."

"My lady." Eli bowed and lead the group from the chamber.

"Please, shall we take a walk." Nozomi gestured to a series of trees outside which Lady Minami nodded and followed the purple haired girl out and walked side by side as they walked past the trees.

"I apologise for Maki's outburst, but can understand her position and it's not like she isn't wrong."

"Do you really believe I wanted to do that to Umi?"

Nozomi stopped walking and stood in front of the trees taking a deep breath in "No, but it doesn't change what happened."

"I know, for what it's worth I never believed a word against her, but Kira manipulated the evidence for too well."

"It wasn't that that got Maki so angry, Kotori's got a long way to go in her mind."

"I know. I did have another motive for coming here besides this treaty."

"Oh, what would that be?"

"Have you heard from Umi's sister?"

"Tatsumi, what about her?"

(Meanwhile)

Maki didn't say a word as she left the chamber, she stormed off not saying a word to anyone "Best you let her cool down." Eli sighed as everyone saw Maki turn a corner.

"Eli would it be ok to… see her?" Kotori asked.

"Are you really sure about this Kotori?"

"Even if she hates me, she deserves the truth."

Eli weighed up the options, on one hand she sympathised with Kotori's idea, but she also had a bad feeling about bring this all up again, eventually she decided it was better to just go with it.

"If you want." Eli sighed "But, Kotori be very sure about this, this will not be a happy reunion."

"I'm sure."

"Ok, then I'll take you to her."

"I think we'll go and see Maki." Hanayo said just as Nico dropped from the ceiling.

"She'll be where she usually goes." Voice from the ceiling.

"Nico, what are you doing up there?"

"Practicing." Nico said as she jumped down "Plus Nozomi wanted me to check for ways an assassin could attack."

"Well, now you're here can you take the others to see Maki, me and Kotori need to see Umi."

"I wish you luck." Nico sighed as he started walking followed by the others.

Eli and Kotori started to walk in the opposite direction. Eli could feel how tense the ashen girl was and Eli couldn't blame her, though Eli knew Kotori was likely expecting to get a different reception to what Kotori was expecting.

"So how have you been?" Kotori asked trying to break the tension as the pair entered an area full of Sakura trees.

"I'm well thank you, how have you been?"

"Stressed, ever since papa died and this rebellion it feels like I've been in a whirlwind."

"How's, she been?"

Eli sighed know who Kotori was meaning "Honestly, I'm at a loss to describe how she is right now."

"How so?"

"It's likely better and easier to see for yourself."

"You know…"

"I do, but is still happened Kotori, she's been like this for the past five years, I'm not sure how long she can last like this."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see." Eli replied looking miserable.

As the pair walked into an area full of Sakura trees Kotori noticed a small grey and white rabbit in the middle of the path staring at them. Kotori looked at the rabbit for a second before it started to hop off down the path.

"Follow her." Eli smiled.

"Huh?"

"She's Umi's, follow her, she'll show the way."

(Maki)

Maki stood looking at the mountains off in the distance thinking about the meeting she's had, she might have been a bit harsh on Kotori but she had her reasons and while she wouldn't go so far as to hate the ashen girl she was angry with her.

"Maki, you ok Nya?"

Maki turned to see Honoka, Hanayo and Rin standing before her.

"Yes, I'm fine, sorry about before."

"Its ok we get it." Hanayo replied.

"We all do." Honoka sighed.

"No you don't, when Umi first came here, she had to stay with me for a few days, I would wake to hear her crying and screaming at night, every night I'd hear her screaming for Kotori and all I could do is sit and listen." Maki sighed "It's one thing to see your friend change after so long away from them, it's another to see them tear themselves apart a little bit everyday and you can't stop it."

"How is she?" Rin asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure I know, all she does now is train and pray, she's like she doesn't have anything else to live for then fighting, guess she doesn't if I think about it, all she's got left is revenge against Kira if she can get it."

"And what's she like about Kotori?" Honoka asked.

"You try and bring her or what happened up, she just shuts us down."

"And yet she still cries about her." Came a voice from the ceiling

"Nico, what are you doing up there?"

"Exactly what you pay me for."

"Now is not the time."

"I doubt a real assassin would care your having a talk…" Nico started.

"What do you mean about crying?" Honoka asked.

"We've heard Umi crying about Kotori when we've walked past her room sometimes and there are times we seen her with the same look she used to have when she thought about Kotori, but whenever you mention Kotori to Umi she goes all cold and shuts us off." Maki sighed.

"So what do we do?" Honoka asked.

"We can't do a thing." Maki stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But there must be something."

"Honoka, Umi has always put a lot of pride in her honour, Kira and Kotori ripped that away from her, she hates Kira and wants to get her honour back and we can't work out what Umi feels on Kotori, only she knows and she won't give a stright answer." Nico countered.

"There's got to be something."

"If we could think of it we would."

(Kotori)

Kotori followed the oddly behaved creature, who would occasionally stop to check if she was still following it. "I feel Eli's setting me up for a joke." Kotori sighed to herself, but lacking another way to go she kept following the rabbit till it stopped, Kotori kept walking expecting the rabbit to keep going after she got close, Kotori kept walking till she was within arm's reach of the rabbit.

"Was this all a joke made by Eli?" Kotori asked the rabbit. Then the rabbit scampered away into the bush.

"Wait!" Kotori shouted trying to catch the rabbit but she ended up tripping, when she got up, she expected to hear giggling but didn't, as she stood up, she heard a voice.

"Meiyo, what are you doing here?"

"Umi." Kotori said to herself.

"Do you want pets it that it?" Umi said.

Kotori made her way towards the voice and came across the as the scene of Umi petting the bunny, when Umi heard Kotori come she looked at the ashen girl with surprise and stopped petting the rabbit. For a moment, the pair looked silently at each other till Meiyo made a growl and thump as her pets were interrupted.

"Sorry, their do you feel better now?" Umi asked the bunny.

"Umi, is it ok if I sit with you?"

Umi merely nodded as she kept stroking Meiyo. As Kotori sat in front of the blunette, she could see what Eli meant, Umi looked older than her age of twenty-five, her jaw and shoulders seemed to be permanently tense, she seemed more taught then her bow string.

"How have you been my Lady?" Umi asked.

"Lonely."

"Lonely?" Umi asked.

Kotori sighed, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she bowed to the ground.

"I'm sorry, forgive me!" Kotori begged. "I was a fool, I should have stood up for you, I never wanted to do it."

"Why, Lady Kotori?" Umi asked her voice lacking emotion "Why did you do it?"

"I was scared."

"Sacred?"

"Kira, he told papa to send you away and when you weren't there, he pressured me."

"Off you go Meiyo." Umi told the rabbit as she stood up "Lady Kotori…" Umi paused for second "…It doesn't matter." she sighed.

Umi turned and started to walk away. Kotori stood up and tried to stop Umi "Umi wait, where do we stand?" Kotori asked tears in her eyes.

Umi paused for a second before letting out a sigh "I will see you later, Lady Kotori." Umi said as she walked off.

"Umi, look at me." Kotori shouted, Umi did as she was asked "Talk to me, I want to fix this and don't call me Lady Kotori just call me Kotori…Onigai." For a moment Umi looked ready fold but her hand clenched as she let out a breath.

"We'll talk later, Lady Kotori." Umi sighed as she walked off.

Kotori dropped to her knees stunned and crying as Umi left here there "Umi…" Kotori sobbed on the ground.

Meiyo - Honour

Also (Gasp) Kotori's Onigai didn't work, don't worry it will in the end, don't light the torches especially if your indoors, that would be a really intresting thing to explain to the fire brigade.

Also if you want an idea of what Nico meant by Maki paying her, go look up Inspector Clouseau vs Cato from the Pink Panther films you'll get the idea.