Fan Fiction ❯ Destinys Call ❯ Shades of the Past ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter one: Shades of the past

Kasumi sat alone her back resting against the tree in which she sat. Drawing her knees up to her chest she wrapped her arms around them resting her head on her arms. Her soft orange brown eyes surveyed the scenery below her. Miles of forest golden,red and brown in the early of autumn.

In the distance the sun was beginning to set all the hues of the sky slowly bleeding together to form one. She tucked a stray strand of her copper colored hair behind her ear. It had somehow escaped the high ponytail that reached almost to her waist.

This day had been peacefull like the scenery that surrounded her the most peacefull she had known in sometime. At times like this she found it hard to believe how much things had changed. How completley a single decision could alter ones life. Although she knew that if she was faced with the same decision again she would make the very same one.

For her she had felt there had truly been no decision to make finding her brother Hayate had been all that mattered. Even if it had made her an outcast to the very people she once led costing her everything she'd once held close to her heart....

Her eyes fell closed as she listened to the soft rustling of the breeze through the nearby trees It softly caressed her cheek and she was reminded of a time before her whole life had been changed.

She had been standing in a crystal blue stream the water reaching nearly to her knees. In her hands she held a fishing rod tightly. The water was unseasonably warm for the time of year and the sun dappled the water with an array of light. It had been her idea to go there on a small fishing trip for a day. She'd been concerned for sometime that something was going to happen soon nothing she could place just a feeling she got them sometimes and they were almost never wrong it was part of what had made her take up an intrest in fortune telling. It hadn't helped when earlier Hayate had humored her fourtune telling hobby by allowing her to read his palm.

Although she had not been able to read anything definite she had the strong feeling that something was going to happen to him..... Suddenly a loud snapping sound follwed by a thud ripped her from her reverie. She turned to see Hayate landing out of a flip on the other side of a massive tree branch. Her half sister Ayane stood on the other side her hands pressed together in front of her face fingers pointing up. Sweat dotted her brow and ran in small rivlets from beneath her lavender hair. Her violet eyes bore a look of intensity. Her brothers face bore much of the same expression his breathing so calm and relaxed for someone who'd just avoided a potentionally fatal situation. His brown eyes reguarded Ayane with challenge.

"You insult me Ayane! you know I would never be that slow."

Kasumi had watched as Ayane cussed under her breath, lowering her hands from before her face. Even when they were supposed to be relaxing they took everything so seriously. For Hayate it was about duty and the demands placed upon him as the new leader of thier clan. For Ayane it was about power and, even if she didn't admitt it, proving herself to a clan she believed never truly accepted her because of her father. It was then that she felt a sharp tug on her fishing line she tried to pull it back fast enough but in the end she hadn't and the line had come back empty she had then surprised herself by cursing under her breath sharply.

She turned her face slightly to the side catching the green eyes of her brothers best friend, Ryu Hayabusa. There was light amusement shining in his eyes more than likely at having heard her cursing and she couldn't help feeling somewhat embarassed but she tried her best to smile for his benifit. Over the years her friendship with Ryu had grown from being merely that he was her brothers best friend to something much more. Other than Hayate she believed him to be the person who understood her most. Although he was for the most part solitary they had an understanding and he seemed to enjoy spending time just being near her as much as she did him though she never spoke of it. Apparently her smile hadn't worked to conseal her worry.

His green eyes were still dancing and a light chuckle teased his voice as he spoke.

"Don't worry Kasumi I am sure another one will come along soon."

She had recognized this as his attempt to both lighten her mood and ease her embarassment and that time when she smiled it had been genuine...

It hadn't been long after that day that everything had changed and she'd made the decision that had changed her life. Her suspicions had not been wrong. The attack on her brother and his abduction had left a lasting scar on her family. Her father becoming more embittered as time had gone on. She remembered sitting that day on the stairs of the old abandoned temple where she Hayate, Ayane and Ryu used to play as children, running thruogh the gardens and playing games of youth. The temple had long since over grown the gardens becoming little more than overgrown fields

Her brother had been missing for more than a month with not so much as a rumor to where he could be but in her heart she had felt that she knew he was alright for that much she was greatful it had been getting late and she'd been just about to leave when she had felt the presence of someone behind her. She hadn't even had to turn to know who it was.

"Ryu"

She spoke softly still not turning to face him.

"Do you remember when we used to play here as children?"

She asked the question simply while standing still looking out over the overgrown gardens. She then turned slowly to face him. She saw what could have been considered part of a smile pulling at the corner of his lips but it didn't last long before his face had become serious again. She walked a few steps up closing more of the gap between them. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest his loose fitting black pants and shirt rustled in the soft breeze subtley. His long reddish brown hair was tied back from his face in the usual low ponytail that reached just past his shoulders. His green eyes seemed to darken with seriousness as he spoke.

" I will be leaving tomorrow there is a matter that only I can attend to.. "

As his sentence trailed off she couldn't help but think that there was something he wasn't telling her for some reason about what it was he had to do. The seriousness on his face concerned her. He was often serious by nature but this was different she could tell that whatever this was was no ordinary matter.

" Whatever this is you are certain you must do it alone?"

She had asked him curious as to what could be so serious it seemed almost as if he were saying a final goodbye to her before he left.

" I will do as I must."

His reply was simple and she had no need to question it further. She stepped up the final step closing the last of the gap between them. She couldn't help feeling like there was something about this he was trying to shield her from and it concerned and almost angered her.

He must have senced this. The next thing she felt was his hand holding her arm sqeezing it gently as he tried to be reassuring.

" When I return I will need to speak with your father. It is very important."

She could hardly stand how he was telling her something and yet nothing. He seemed to sence her frustration at this and gently squeezed her arm once more.

" It is not like you to keep things from me Ryu"

She whispered softly her voice holding every bit of the seriousness his could.

" I do as I must"

He replied simply and evenly. She took his hand that had resting on her arm and held it a moment feeling his fingers against her own and then brushing her fingers across his palm. She hoped he would understand but one way or another she had to find out what this was all about.

" As do I"

She replied softly before turning to go not turning to see his face when he would open his hand to find the small cherry blossom in his palm...

It hadn't been long after that that she had discovered that it was rumored Hayate would be in the next DOA tournament... and that he couldn't remember who he was anymore. It had been then that she had decided to leave everything she knew behind to find him the only way she could by becoming a runaway.

She had only looked back once as she had left..... Ryu had found her during the course of the course of the tournament and although she had insisted she didn't want to fight him he had been equally insistant that he could not let her continure her course of action that he had promised Hayate he would allow no harm to come to her. His eyes had gone from concern to deepening with determination to fufull his promise and though it had hurt her deeply a bitter battle ensued between them one that neither wanted to lose when the cause was so dear to them. In the end he had bested her in battle. Despite his promise to her not to worry she had continued in her quest. Although she had eventually been reunited with Hayate during the tournament it was impossible for her to return hom in peace as a runaway. She was now forced to spend her days defending her life from highly trained assasins from the very clan she'd once been appointed to lead. Determined to honor the iron code at any cost. The same code that forced the brother she'd done so much to help to order an end to her life despite her reasons....

A slight sound nearby caused her to open her eyes suddenly returning to her present time the sound although barely audible to most she had no trouble recognizing and without so much as thinking she lept from her position flipping downwards from the tree and as the sun continued to set on another day she ran once again.





Authors Note: This is my first DOA fic! It may turn into an AU you later I only have so much of where I am going with it planned out. There will be a lemon in later chapters so I thought you may want to be for warned ^__~ Also this story will be a Kasumi/Haybusa story and may contain other pairings as well depending. Please try to be understanding with this story not only is it my first DOA fic but it will also contain my first lemon. Also although I have gone to several websites and read about Ninja Gaiden I chose to base my story soley off of DOA I hope this doesnt offend anyone its just how I chose to write it.

Other than that I don't own these characters *sniff* so please don't sue me! Questions? Comments? Creative death threats? E Mail them to teesa57@hotmail.com Please read and review!