Fan Fiction ❯ Destinys Call ❯ Awakening ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five: Awakening



It was the slightest brush that made it begin, the feeling of her hair against her cheek. Slowly Kasumis' lids began to rise, her eyes protesting silently against her waking just yet. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep, having only wanted to rest her eyes for a moment. Her orange brown eyes though hesitant to open began to focus on her surroundings. The lantern still cast its now fading amber glow over everything in its wake, making her skin appear almost bronzed in color. In the distance she could still hear the gentle rushing of the water overhead working to invite sleep to take her once more....

Though exhaustion still threatened to over take her Kasumi began to turn her body in an effort to further survey her surroundings, her left arm sending an angry pain all the way up to her shoulder. Moving her right hand to examine the origin of her discomfort Kasumi brushed back the torn material of her powder blue sleeve, feeling the wound she had received while running from the assassins the previous night. The same wound the kunoichi had long forgotten in favor of tending to Ryu, it felt different somehow...pulling her fingers away from the wound in the waning light she held her hand out before her eyes. Rubbing her fingers together as she observed the small amount of purplish green powder on her fingertips.

"I have tended to your wound there shouldn't be any scarring or infection." The voice emerged calm and even.

It took a moment for Kasumis' mind to register what she had heard; in surprise at hearing the sound of his voice Kasumi forced herself to turn over the rest of the way. She could make him out now, sitting not far from her. Ryus' back was against the wall of the cave one of his knees was drawn up and his hand was resting on it . The leg that bore the wound from her tanto was stretched out at its side. His eyes, appearing a deeper green than normal in the amber lighting, had their sight set upon her face. A few stray strands of his reddish brown hair had made their way free from its low ponytail and were brushing against his cheek.

Kasumi was relieved to find he had awakened although she did note that his eyes still had a worn look to them, she felt a tug at her heart remembering how hard it had been on him trying to ward off the poison even if he didn't remember all of the struggle if any of it. Closing her eyes a moment Kasumi thanked whatever deity had been watching over them for their favor. She didn't know what she would have done if something would have happened....

Closing her eyes however reminded her exactly how exhausted she truly was, she forced her eyes open however not wanting to fall back asleep now. When she opened them Ryu had shifted his gaze downward and it appeared as if he were looking at the hand balanced on his knee, upon looking more carefully she could see his eyes were closed and wondered if it were possible he had fallen asleep in such a short amount of time.

"Ryu" Her voice emerged soft as the glow from the lantern in their presence. His name sounding almost like a whispered question.

His breathing appeared to be even and rhythmic as he continued to sit there. For a moment she believed that he truely must have fallen back asleep. She watched the soft glow of the lantern dancing on his features a moment, even as she felt her own eyes growing heavy again against her will....

"You should rest there is no need for you to tire yourself further Kasumi" His voice sounded as she had always known it to even and calm .

She knew Ryu was speaking to her she could see his mouth moving but she only heard some of his words something about how she should rest..before the gentle sound of the water above and exhaustion, this time coupled with her sense of relief at least for the time being, eased her toward the arms of sleep.



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She felt the warmth on her face first, soft yet insistent that she wake. Kasumi turned at first reluctant to give up the warmth of the blanket and the contentment of actually getting some true rest. Her arm had other plans however protesting against her movement on to it. She drew a sharp breath, opening her eyes to see the light of late morning filtered into the cave from beyond the falling water. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept this long. She forced herself to rise up, brushing her fingers lightly over the wound on her arm. It had burned but only slightly, the powder seemed to be working.

Turning her head back in the direction she had been facing she surveyed her surroundings for Ryu...but she didn't see anyone...

Rising to her feet quickly Kasumi turned full circle to make sure she hadn't over looked anything, her breath catching in her throat a moment as a thought occurred to her. Just because the wound hadn't looked any worse the last time she examined it didn't mean that the lasting effects the poison may have left on his system couldn't have been less visible ones....she could vaguely remember sharing a brief conversation with him the night before. Ryu had seemed fine then but that didn't mean anything if it took longer for the lasting effects to show....

The kunoichi felt her heart turn heavy as she recalled how he had looked the night before when he'd desperately been trying to fight off the poison and its resulting fever. How he had grasped her hand so tightly she had almost feared her fingers would break. The confused look that had clouded his green eyes as they had flown open wide almost appearing frightened. She had never seen an expression like that before and she knew she never wanted to again...What if he had ended up like that out there somewhere wandering aimlessly. She wouldnt have the first clue where to start looking for him if he were in that state ....

It was hard enough knowing he could be out there this way but it was worse knowing she had caused this to befall someone she'd cared deeply about. Cursing under her breath sharply once more at the fact that she had to force down everything but her required senses for survival at that moment. She had prepared herself for just that scenario and had carried it out exactly as she had planned it in her mind should one of her would be assassins get a hold of her. Instead she had used it on someone who'd meant her no harm at all...

Even though she had no idea where to start looking for him Kasumi knew she had to go the more time she waited the worse the situation could become if infact there was one. Walking to the entrance to the cave she turned back one last time as she did so something caught her eye in the place where Ryu had been laying during his fight with the toxin. It appeared to be a small paper folded on top of the folded blanket she had used to cradle his head. Kneeling she picked it up into her hand and brushing it open with her delicate fingers she began to read...

Kasumi-

There were some matters I had to attend to I will return as soon as I am able. Feel free to stay if you choose.

-Ryu



Reading over the simple note once more Kasumi felt some relief wash over her. Leaning her back against the closest wall of the cave she once again felt thankful that fate had saw fit to allow Ryu to emerge from this ordeal with no permanent damage that she could see so far. Still grasping the tiny note in her hand she moved to the mattress and sat down drawing the blanket over her once more deciding she would wait for Ryus return just to be certain. Running her fingers over the words on the letter Kasumi felt the questions that had been trying to force their way to the surface since the beginning working their way back ...



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Leaves fell from the surrounding trees, falling to the ground and also to come to rest in the water in front of Ryu Hayabusa. He held his fishing rod , standing as still as possible as not to startle any of the fish that may be nearby , knowing the slightest of ripples could cause them to give run. The only thing that moved were his eyes ever watchful taking in his surroundings, as well as a few stray strands of his reddish brown hair that brushed his cheek in the gentle breeze.

His mind kept wandering back over the events of the past day , much of it was a blur , most of it only remembered in fragments. He could clearly recall having caught up with Kasumi in the woods and some of the immediate events afterwards before it becomes hazy. The only other clear memory he had after that is of Kasumi leaning over him her face marked with concern, her normally soft orange brown eyes darkened with concern and hurt as she applied cool water to his forehead.

Ryu could vaguely recall her speaking a few words to him at that time though he couldn't truly recall exactly what they had been. He closed his eyes a moment as the cool breeze caressed his cheek once more. The memory of seeing Kasumis face so marked with worry for him caused him to think once again of her nature. Kasumi had always been the type of person to put other people first against all odds, once her mind was set there was no stopping her once she believed what she was doing was right. It was this very same trait that had gotten her into the situation she now lived in daily being forced to run for her very life by the person she had risked everything for...

Glancing down at his wounded leg as it offered up a slight pain another thought occurred to him, he had no way of knowing if Kasumi would be there when he returned though he may try to deny it a part of him even if put away hoped she would not have gone yet. Although Ryu spent his life for the most part as a solitary individual, distancing himself from everyone but a few he had grown to feel at ease in Kasumis' presence. Over the years before the second tournament his friendship with Kasumi had slowly developed into much more than just the casual friendship a man has with his best friends sister.

She never asked more of anyone than they would want to give, he could remember times they had spent engaged in some light conversation or simply enjoying each others silent company. He could recall one particular time it had been the last fishing trip they had gone on before so much had changed. He'd been sitting near the fire, watching the flames rise his mind had been a million miles away, Kasumi had not been sitting far away when he had looked up from it to see her watching Ayane trying to explain something to Hayate. They were too far away for either of them to hear what the conversation entailed but the one thing they did hear was something rare, Hayate releasing a brief but deep chuckle as Ayane continued to speak, a light smile touching her usually serious features. Kasumi had been just sitting there taking it all in, smiling softly although her face also bore a somewhat troubled expression for a brief moment. Now when he looked back on it it seemed almost as if in a way she knew things would soon change, the light of the flames they danced in her eyes making them appear almost amber in color .........

The other side of him chose then to interrupt his train of thought it wanted her to have already gone. The longer she remained in one place the easier it would be for the assassins to track her although he doubted they would find her whereabouts any time soon it upped the odds the longer she remained there. He also knew it would do no good to try and tell Kasumi this once her mind was made up it was done. The idea of her staying to help him at grave risk to her touched him in a way that he hadn't felt in sometime. It was then his mind decided to recall how she had looked when she had awakened to find him sitting there no longer held in the poisons grip, it had almost made him wish that he could have allowed her to see his gratitude in a more noticeable way instead of just his usual detached nature. It had come to the point that it was most times beyond his control now after years of functioning this way it just seemed natural.

Suddenly feeling a strong tug on the the line he pulled the rod back swiftly watching as a large fish came into view its wet scales shining briefly in the light of the autumn afternoon as it tried desperately to free itself from the line but to no avail. Shaking his head to clear it, at least for the moment of his present thoughts Ryu set about readying the line for another catch, he had almost lost that one and if he didn't keep his mind focused he may end up being here until well after dark...

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Kasumi continued walking, the blanket she'd had wrapped around her shoulders was now simply draped over one arm. She had begun walking back toward the farther end of the cave out of curiosity and more than some want to refocus her mind but as she had begun walking she had found that the farther back she was traveling the warmer the atmosphere was becoming. Raising the lantern a bit higher she could see some condensation on the walls, indicating perhaps a small stream inside the cave as well.

After continuing with her walk for a few more moments she found the ground beneath her feet becoming slick and she was unable to stop herself before she fell, her knees hitting the hard floor of the cave. Closing her eyes a moment,Kasumi remained a moment motionless just glad she hadn't lost the light of the lantern having forgotten to bring a match, she hadn't planned on being gone that long. Opening her eyes once more it was revealed to her the reason for both the sudden increase in warmth and the condensation that seemed to near saturate the nearby walls.

It was a small spring of water the steam rising off of it indicating what was perhaps an inviting warmth. Rising from her spot Kasumi moved to the side of it sitting down and laying both the lantern and the blanket at her side she dipped her fingers into the water to find it both warm and inviting. Watching the ripples that went forth from her fingers interruption in the waters surface Kasumi contemplated only a brief moment before deciding upon taking a small bath, perhaps she could relive some of the tension from the past few days and with her having to leave soon who knew when she would have this type opportunity again.....

Rising Kasumi began to remove her garments, untying the sash at her waist she let the main portion of her powder blue outfit fall away from her before untying the ties at her hips, allowing that too to fall to a pool at her feet. Only then did she kneel removing the high white stockings and shoes that she wore revealing the last of her figure to the small spring alone. Stepping in and lowing herself she found the water to be even more appealing than she had previously imagined. The water that now reached up to her shoulders felt so warm and comforting almost like a gentle massage, she couldn't help but sigh slightly with this new feeling of contentment no matter how briefly it may last.

Leaning back she submerged her hair in the springs comforting warmth. Lying on her back now she watched the steam rise up from the spring spiraling toward the ceiling of the cave among the small stalactites that clung there. The walls seemed to almost shimmer in the lantern light that danced on the dew that covered the walls. As Kasumi felt her muscles continue to relax she couldn't help her mind from wandering....

Though she felt better than she had since this whole situation had begun Kasumi couldn't help but still be concerned about Ryu. She had no doubt he would pull through now but his eyes had still looked so worn when she'd last seen him that it caused her concern to remain. She was just thankful she had been able to react as quickly as she had who knew what farther damage could have been done had she not...

Kasumi could not avoid releasing another small sigh no matter how hard she tried to remind herself how what had happened had not been deliberate she still couldn't entirely absolve the guilt from her heart. Although she was still uncertain exactly what had caused Ryu to become involved she had always known that he hadn't meant her any harm. He had been dressed in clothes like he would have worn on any of the many fishing trips he normally took, which although it wasn't completely impossible for him to be, caused her to pretty much rule out the possibility of it being part of some kind of mission that he find her. Of course there was also the question of how he had found her...part of her wanted to ask him to speak these questions into life upon his return but another part of her spoke up that it may be best to just let things rest as they are after all despite of whatever motive he had aided her in her escape from the assassins, she had in turned cared for him during his struggle with the toxins.

Righting herself in the water she leaned against the edge of the spring brushing a few stray strands of her now soaking copper hair from her eyes. The light from the lantern danced upon the moistened walls of the cave causing a dazzling array of simmering light in its soft glow. Kasumi found that she couldn't help the soft, somewhat sad smile that played around her lips as the light continued its dance upon the walls. Had it truly only been not even two years ago that everything had changed......she could remember other times surrounded by the light of a fire...back before she had been forced to leave all she'd held dear to her behind forever.....

Leaning her head back to rest near the small lantern Kasumi closed her eyes, in the distance she could still hear the water swiftly rushing overhead the steam from the spring continued to rise caressing her face with soft warmth. Crossing her arms just beneath her breasts Kasumi allowed her facial features to relax, the warmth was spreading though her entire body even more now, calming some distant part of her mind wondered how much longer it would be before Ryu returned...

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A small group of autumn leaves scattered across the floor of the cave as Hayabusa returned. His eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light of the cave, being only lit by the late afternoon light. Turning to survey his surroundings he saw no sight of Kasumi.....then his highly trained eyes caught it barely visible a faint light was coming from far down into the cave......

Laying the fish he had managed to catch aside he began to make his way down toward the light, his feet made little sound, years of difficult missions had seasoned him to making as little sound as possible when needed. He didn't know what to expect to find he could hear no sounds other than the rushing of the water in the distance over head and the slight occasional dripping as some of the condensation on the walls became too heavy and fell to the floor of the cave as he drew nearer to the small spring toward the other entrance.

Continuing to walk the walls of the cave began to widen some once more as he reached the area of the spring he could make out the small lantern the light was coming from it cast an almost other worldly golden glow over everything in its wake, it was there that he saw Kasumi ..............

The light from the small lantern danced upon the surface of the water, the different hues gliding over the ripples slowly,the light on the water also reflecting on Kasumis' face. Her facial features appeared relaxed, her soft orange brown eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted. Breath seemed to be coming easily to her, her chest rose and fell at an even pace with her slow steady breathing. She turned her head slightly to the side in her sleep causing her hair to shift with the slight movement revealing more of her form to him in the waning light,his eyes moved slowly sweeping from her gentle facial expression down her neck to the place where her shoulders lay just above the line of the water and farther to where her flowing hair partially covered the gentle swell of her breasts...her skin seemed to almost glow in the soft light and he had been unable to stop himself as the thought entered his mind of just how soft it would be to the touch.......

Before he even realized what he was doing Ryu had turned his back to the sleeping Kasumi and had taken a few steps back the way in which he had come. He stopped turning to look back only once as he left. She looked to be so at peace he was glad he hadn't disturbed her , it was uncertain when she would again be able to relax as she did now. Turning his back once more he left having every intention of letting her have her peace..



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Kasumis' eyes opened to find the light from the lantern she had brought with her had dimmed a great deal now only barely casting a erratic flickers of light over her surroundings. How long could she have been asleep... an hour? Perhaps two or three? Turning her body and rising from the spring she faced the direction she had come. Unlike when she had originally ventured this way there wasn't as much light showing from down the way. In the distance she could make out a soft orange light however, like the light of a fire.

Stepping up she moved to the place where she had left her garments Ryu must have returned sometime while she had been dozing...pulling the blanket she had brought with her up and around her a moment she dried herself off some before beginning to dress. Part of her was still having trouble believing she had fallen asleep again but another part found it to be no surprise at all her stress coupled with her exhaustion had simply taken over.... realeasing a heavy breath she pulled the long white stockings up her legs before stepping into her shoes. Bending and reaching with her left hand she picked up the yellow ribbon that usually held her long hair in its high ponytail, tying it around the handle of the lantern until her hair was less damp. Gathering the few remaining things she had brought with her and not worn Kasumi started on her way back through the cave.

She moved swiftly as she went the orange light that had once been in the distance growing ever closer as she gained ground on her destination. brushing her torn sleeve a moment she examined her wound her arm felt somewhat chilled in the absence of the warmth of the water from the spring, and was still reddened but offered no pain brushing the cloth back over the opening the best she could she continued on her way.

Upon reaching the opening to the other entrance Kasumi could see the small pit she had found when first bringing Ryu to the cave now contained a small fire. Around it there were some fish on sticks that appeared to have already been cooked but for some reason she doubted that had been done here. Through the opening of the cave through the running water she could see the shadows of afternoon growing long into the early shadows of evening making her wonder once again how long she could have been asleep. It was then that she saw Ryu he was sitting with his back against the wall of the cave much as he had been when she had first seen him awake that morning, his hand rested on the knee that was raised his head was down only the few stray strands of it hanging partially in his face what she could make out of his face seemed relaxed ...as though he were asleep or really deep in thought.

Taking a step forward Kasumi wondered if she should say anything, still surprised that her movements however slight had not drawn his attention. Moving to where the mattress lay on the floor she placed the lantern at its side, lowering herself to sit on it she placed the blanket behind her it was then that she senced something coming at her without so much as a thought she sent her hand back catching the object easily, recognizing it as one of the sticks she'd seen around the fire even before she turned to look at it.

"It seems you can still catch one after all." Ryus voice had emerged normal and even as it always had though when she turned to look his eyes had a certain light to them one Kasumi hadn't seen in someone's eyes in sometime... one of amusement.

Kasumi was unable to keep the small light laugh from escaping her lips as an image from their last fishing trip flashed before her mind. She had been so distracted by her thoughts she had been unable to pull the lines back fast enough and repeatedly come back empty. He had had that same look in his eyes then when he had caught her cursing herself under her breath.



Still smiling softly Kasumi began the task of preparing her food to eat it was still plenty warm to the touch but not hot it would appear that she had good timing. The smile remained on Kasumis' face for at least a few more moments as the thought crossed her mind that she was thankful for the simple fact of being able to spend at least sometime just being near someone she cared for.

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Cherry blossoms, small white cherry blossoms lay in the gloved hand of the young woman she had come to this place in search of some time to think but she had never expected to find these...Kasumi was getting quite brazen with her actions...coming so close to the home of those who'd once respected her. The ones she had betrayed.

Barely aware of the breeze that was brushing her hair against her cheek, she closed her hand over the small blossoms before opening her hand once more allowing them to fall from it. They were crushed beneath her feet as she began to move forward everything within her was whispering that for better or for worse now it was only a matter of time...







Authors post-it note : I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I was trying to make it as good as possible since it is the beginning of a transition of the story in more ways than one. There will be *Much* more diologue as well as some more action in the next few chapters as the story begins to really pick up. I hope this chapter wasn't too boring after it being a month since last update. ^_^

I would also like to thank my fiancée Jared and Kochan for their input on my ideas you have no idea how much of a help it was this time around!

Also I would like to thank Crystalline Tears for the kind reviews I have received on each and every chapter so far. I was meaning to e-mail you and thank you but you never left an e-mail address anyways thanks a lot it means a lot to know you have enjoyed my story so far and I hope this chapter was enjoyable for you!

Until next time!

Questions,Comments,Creative Death Threats? Send them to me at teesa57@hotmail.com Please read and review!!!