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"An Attempted Rescue" Behind me, Bleary sighed before asking yet again, "You tired?" I decided to lie for the fourth time, "Nope, not at all." My reply was met with a cacophony of wails and groans. Our small army plodded on through the darkness, our destination: Harmonia. We went on for another five more minutes before Bleary brought up a good point. "If we don't stop and rest, we won't be able to save ourselves, let alone Rei and Moldun. Look, everyone's about to collapse." I knew he was right. I stopped and turned around. "Ok, we'll camp here, so get some rest," I said, realizing how tired I myself was. Our camp consisted of a fire with everybody sprawled around it, having found a spot without too many rocks jutting out of the ground at, let's say, uncomfortable angles. I was asleep before I hit the dirt. *That night, elsewhere* Rei was glad to finally have some time to herself, time in which she could think without constantly being prodded towards Harmonia, towards her death. Death was an inevitability that couldn't be avoided, she knew. Rei was just happy that she had been given a chance to die for a purpose, much more than she could have hoped for. A large shape descended, seating itself beside her. "Beautiful night, eh? I wonder how Rosa's doing," Moldun muttered gently. Rei decided now was as good a time to ask as any. "Why were you taken captive," she asked, surprised that the guards had let him come over without one or two of them accompanying. The irony amused her. No matter how hard they tried to hide it, the samurai were afraid of the large man. Moldun paused for a second before replying, "Actually, I'm not too sure...they found me out in the woods and, basically took me captive. I suppose that they needed someone for manual labor. Otherwise, it's anyone's guess." She nodded, although she suspected they probably had a little more in mind than that. "We should get to sleep soon. I believe we leave at dawn," She suggested quietly. He shrugged and went back to his spot near the fire, under careful guard even when sleeping. Her gaze lingered on the night sky, watching a shooting star plunge from it's place in the heavens. I should make a wish, she thought, nostalgically remembering the nights when her mother had held her and read her bedtime stories. Rei pushed away the painful memories and thought of what she should wish for. I wish that Amada and I had just been left alone... *Next morning* Being the first up, I got the fire up and going again. By the time that was done, Maria was up and she offered to cook breakfast for everyone. Reluctantly, I agreed, fearing what she considered good food. Not too long after that, our group munched on some ashy toast, incinerated eggs, with a side of burnt bacon. I forked the so called food down, eager to get going. However, my companions' appetites were much more slim. We trotted on for a while until we finally arrived at the Jowston/Highland checkpoint. The guards looked at us nonchalantly, more bored than anything else. "Hey, have you seen a group of samurai lookin' guys? There's about seven of them and they should have a really large guy and a gorgeous samurai woman as prisoners," I asked, ready for anything. Well, almost anything. The guard pointed behind me, "Um, like those guys?" I spun around quickly and saw the group we'd been pursuing for the last two days. "How did we pass them?! They had a one-day headstart," Jowal blurted, smacking a palm to his forehead. Well, this really screwed up my plan. "Um, could you guys go over there while we get ready to ambush you," I asked, off guard. Hideko smirked malevolently. "Actually, no," he replied before igniting the rage rune on his left hand. The inferno surrounded our party, burning fiercely. However, we were saved by Rosa's hastily thrown up Canopy of Defense. Hideko's smile vanished as Jowal and Rosa opened fire. Two samurai fell, one with an arrow in the eye and the other with a knife in the throat. Our two archers aimed for Hideko. He unsheathed his sword, deflecting the deadly missiles with ease. Following their lead, Bleary let loose a barrage of The Shredding, ripping the remaining two samurai into shreds (who woulda thunk it), leaving only Hideko standing. "Take Rei and run," he shouted, before laughing at us. "I shall give you the honor of seeing true power before you die," he said, this time raising his right hand. Hideko's form blurred, dividing into two. The two doubled to four and then once more to eight. Eight Hidekos stared at us murderously. Suddenly, all of them charged toward us. Bleary slashed at one of the clones, his no-dachi passing through it's body like air. It countered with a quick downward swipe, glancing off of Bleary's breastplate. This was very bad. We couldn't hit them, but they could hit us. Now, how in the hell did you fight against that? Then it hit me. "I've got an idea, find the real one and kill him," I shouted, blocking a blow meant for my neck. "How are we supposed to do that? They all look the same," Jowal yelled, busy dodging his foes skillful attacks. Damn! Time was against us, we couldn't last much longer on the defensive. We were going to die, I thought optimistically. As if awaiting a cue, my life started to flash before my eyes. The day I learned how to swim, my first kiss, my misadventures with my buds. One memory in particular stood out. I had been fifteen at the time and one of my friends dragged me off to some martial arts class. I'd asked what good meditation was and the teacher had gone off on a long lecture about being one with the world. "Ah, grasshoppa, when you become one with the world, you shall be unbeatable," he explained, his patience wearing thin. My first class had also been my last. It was worth a try. My mind returned sharply to reality, a lucky slash opening my arm. "Someone cover me," I shouted above the din of battle. Bleary grunted in the affirmative, allowing his opponent to back him into a more defensive positions, giving me the few precious seconds I needed. I drowned out the noise, ignored the groans of my companions and concentrated to the very core of my being. As I watched, seven of the clones faded into transparency, leaving only one Hideko, his back to me. I slammed my oar into his shoulder, spinning him around. The clones dissipated immediately. Stunned, Hideko gasped, "How?!" Grinning all the time, my oar crashed into his wrist, causing him to drop his blade. Recovering slightly, he socked me in the jaw, and leapt backwards, falling into a fighting stance. "He's mine," I growled, throwing my weapon to the ground. Mimicking him, I too dropped into a martial pose. At least I tried. Sensing my unfamiliarity with the arts, he launched himself at me, first driving his right hand at my throat. I succeeded in blocking the blow, that is, before he pivoted on his heel and drove the back of his fist into my neck. Absorbing the hit, I lashed out with my foot, catching him in the kneecap. Pressing my advantage, I advanced, pummeling him silly. Somehow, he managed to get a grip on my arm, spinning me swiftly to the ground and knocking the air out of my lungs. Hideko slipped a knife from his belt and grinned maliciously. A second later, he stopped smiling as the compound injuries of a foot to the groin and an uppercut registered in his brain. He hit the dirt like a sack of potatoes. Dusting myself off, I got up and kicked the bastard a couple of times for good measure. Satisfied that he was as unconscious as he looked, I glanced around, searching for Rei. Past the checkpoint, I could see her struggling against her bonds as her sister yanked her along the path. Fatigue was replaced with adrenaline as I closed the distance between us. When I was an arms' length away, Meia dove to the ground, sweeping my legs out from under me. Once again, I found myself breathless. Not wasting any time, her blade whipped out of her scabbard, resting an inch above my neck. "Fool, you shouldn't have followed us," she hissed. Behind her, Rei snapped the frayed ropes binding her wrists. Hopping to her feet, she drew her sword out (they hadn't bothered to disarm her) and held it against Meia's neck. A moment passed, then another. My companions arrived, but halted when they saw the rather interesting impasse we'd gotten ourselves into. Meia kills me, Rei kills Meia. "Um," I suggested intelligibly. Fortunately, Rei solved the problem. "Meia Shosawa, I hereby challenge you to a duel to the death according to the rules of the Temple of the Silver Moon" She stated, backing her word up with steel. Her sister wavered for but a second before she responded simply, "I accept." Rei nodded, paling slightly at her sister's reply. As for me, I had absolutely no clue what was going on. "I never thought I'd have to kill you, Meia." Her sister snorted, "Don't be so cocky, the battle has yet to start, little sister. I will hold back nothing." Rei nodded, raising her katana. Both of the fighters were equally matched. Every now or then, one would get the upper hand, only to be surprised by the other's clever ruses. Rei brought her sword down quickly, unsuccessfully trying to cleave her sister in twain. Her opponent would then hop away and attempt to catch her off guard with a backswing. The fight went on, her friends watching every move that either made. Suddenly, Rei burst into motion, driving her sister back fiercely. Meia tugged a concealed dagger from her kimono and threw it. Not at her sister, but at Amada. Having no time to think, Rei moved deftly into it's path, swatting it out of the air with her sword. She realized her mistake too late, as Meia stepped inside her guard, slipping another knife between her ribs. Rei's blade clattered on the ground, her body following it a second later. Her sister grinned in victory, too caught up in it to realize the knife jutting out of her chest, deeply embedded in her heart. She may not have had time to defend herself, but she had time to attack. As her sister crumpled to the road, her vision started to blur. I was moving before Rei hit the ground, kneeling beside her. "Rei! You all right," I asked, already knowing the answer. She looked me in the eye, saying nothing. It was now or never. "I love you," I blurted, foolishly hoping that would make everything better. She smiled at me, lifting a hand to caress my cheek. "Then it was worth it," Rei whispered, closing her eyes. She sighed, her last breath. My hands shook as I held her close. An aching in my throat grew until I couldn't hold it in any longer and I wept like a child. Rei was dead.
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