Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Requiem of Summer ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A gentle breeze blew past the gang as they made their way to the festival. It was a perfect night with the crescent moon hanging above them, high in the star-filled sky; hardly any clouds were present. Hana stretched her arms over her head and took some of the fresh spring air into her lungs. She was clad in a pastel green yukata with an intricate design on the bottom. Her hair was half up and half down. She was ahead of everyone else on the path.

“This is going to be awesome! It’s been so long since I went to one of these,” she said with excitement. Cye smiled at his girlfriend’s enthusiasm.

“I just can’t wait to get my hands on the food there,” Kento said as he rubbed his palms together, his mouth watering at the thought. “Festival food is the best kind of food because of the variety that they have.” He looked down at Natsumi, who was walking very close to him. Her eyes were scouting the darkened area. “Try to take it easy.” Natsumi looked up at the Earth warrior dubiously. “I know you’re worried, but you have us here. Ryo won’t let anything happen to you, right?”

Ryo looked at his friend and nodded. “He’s right, Natsumi. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said and took her hand into his. “It’ll be fun tonight.”

Natsumi blushed as she looked at the interlocked fingers. “I guess you’re right. I’m sorry, everyone…” she said softly.

“Everything is going to be fine,” Hana said from way up front. She then stopped and made her way back to the hand-holding couple. “Hey, Ryo. You haven’t said anything about Natsumi’s yukata.” Hana pointed to the bright yellow robe her friend was wearing. The light-clothed fabric with the tulip pattern swayed gently with the breeze.

“I-It’s nice. I thought I said something earlier. It’s cute on you, hon,” Ryo blushed. “Yellow is definitely your color.”

“Thanks… it was my mother’s favorite color, too,” Natsumi mentioned.

A moment of awkward silence fell over them until Cye pointed to the big steps in front of them. The tension quickly disappeared as they came to the bottom step. Natsumi looked up the stone flight of stairs before her. People were passing by and hiking up to their destination. She could feel her heartbeat start to pick up, along with her nerves. Hana and Kento were the first to go up the steps in excitement; the two of them talked amongst each other. Natsumi flinched when she felt a gentle hand on her right shoulder. She looked to her right to see Ryo smiling down at her.

“It’s going to be alright. I’m here,” he said in a low voice. “If it gets to be too much, then we’ll go, okay?”

“Okay,” Natsumi said softly. She let him guide her up the stone steps that led to where the festival was being held.

Even though she trusted him on his word, her fears were still getting the best of her. What if her father had the same idea and was amongst all the people? What if her uncle found out that she was there and told her father? One by one, she climbed the stone steps, her heartbeat now pounding against her ribcage.

It seemed like the stairs just went on with no end. She could hear Hana shouting something from up ahead, but she was so busy in her own thoughts that she couldn’t make out the words. Yellow and orange lanterns soon came into view along with the excited chatter of the other guests. The aroma of food drifted through the area. Men wearing navy blue ceremonial robes were beating a large drum stick against huge drums. She looked in front of her and saw a parade going on with people holding up different floats.

“I haven’t been to one of these,” Ryo said, raising his voice so he could be heard. “Maybe we can go to the temple and give our blessings later.” Natsumi only nodded her head and continued to let Ryo guide her into the crowd. She looked around the area, keeping an eye out for any possible chance her father was in the same vicinity. The couple came across Kento at one of the food stands. He had two large skewers of yakitori in his hands with a big grin on his face.

Kento turned his head and saw his two friends standing beside him. “’Udes! Ou should thry ome of this!” he said with his mouth full of chicken.

“Try swallowing before you speak,” Ryo said with a grin. “Would you like one, Natsumi?”

“Okay. I never had it before,” she said with her cheeks pink.

“You never had yakitori before? Oh, wow. It’s awesome stuff,” Kento said. “It’s basically grilled chicken on a stick.”

Ryo handed her a stick before getting one of his own. Natsumi took a bite of the chicken and chewed the juicy meat. A smile broke out across her lips as she took another bite. After days of not eating, she felt a small kick of energy and warmth as it passed down her throat.

“I’m glad you are eating, Natsumi,” Cye said as he and Hana approached the trio. Hana had a red bean paste-filled taiyaki while Cye had a strawberry-banana crepe.

“Where did you get the taiyaki from?” Kento asked as he eyed the fish-shaped pastry Hana was holding.

“It’s a couple of booths down that way,” Hana said as she pointed north. “The crepes and dango are there, too.”

“Now that’s my kind of food,” Kento said as he rubbed his stomach. “I’ll catch you guys later.” Kento sprinted toward the direction Hana pointed to, leaving everyone behind.

Hana shook her head. “That’s all he thinks about is food. There are other things to do at this festival other than eating,” Hana said as she took a bite of her pastry. She noticed Natsumi eyeing her food, too, with a curious look on her face. “Have you ever tried this?”

“No. I never went to any festivals when I was little, so this is all new to me,” Natsumi explained. “My father never really allowed us to go…”

Hana tore a piece of her pastry and handed it to her friend. “Try it. There is red bean filling in it. It’s really good.” She watched Natsumi eat the treat and smiled when she saw her nod in approval. “There are also chocolate, custard, and cheese fillings. If you want, we can go get you one.”

“Sure,” Natsumi said, and she followed Hana through the sea of people.

Cye watched Hana lead Natsumi into the crowd. “How’s she doing? She seems to be doing okay.”

Ryo watched the crowd of people as they maneuvered around each other, a concerned look on his features. “She’s scared, Cye. She keeps looking around as if the Boogeyman was going to get her. She held onto my hand for dear life.” Cye looked at his leader with a solemn expression. Ryo took a deep breath through his nose. “She thinks her father is here.”

“Did she tell you that?” Cye asked curiously.

Ryo simply shook his head and looked at his friend. “I could just tell, I guess. Why else would she be looking all over the place? Her father did some number on her.” Ryo clenched his teeth in anger.

“It’s going to take her some time to get over things the best she can. Just agreeing to come here is a big improvement,” Cye said, trying to sound reassuring. “And she has you.”

Ryo smiled at Cye. “I just wish I could make her feel like she has nothing to worry about, that she is loved and special. I want to make the horrible feelings disappear.” He felt a hand on his left shoulder. He turned to find Cye smiling at him, but there was something about that smile that was different. “What?”

“Ryo, I’m sure when the time comes, you’ll find a way to show her your love,” Cye said with a pat on his friend’s shoulder.

“What are you talking about, Cye?” Ryo asked. “And stop smiling like that. It’s kind of creeping me out.”

“Sorry, Ryo. I didn’t mean to creep you out. Things will work out. I’m sure of it.”

“I hope you are right, Cye. I really do.”

 

The night was going by smoothly. Hana was keeping Natsumi occupied by showing her how to catch a goldfish with using only a small paddle-like object. Both girls tried on the various character masks that were being sold at one of the booths. The gang walked over to the big drums and watched the men give a performance to the crowd before them.

“I would love to learn how to do that,” Kento said loudly. “I would be one cool cat.”

“You would probably put a hole in it with your strength, right, Natsumi?” Ryo laughed. He looked to his right and saw that his girlfriend had disappeared from his side. Alarm struck through him. “Natsumi? Hey, guys, did you see Natsumi anywhere?”

“Last time I saw her, she was standing next to you,” Cye replied.

“I wonder if she needed to use the bathroom,” Kento wondered.

“She would have said something to me,” Ryo replied in a harsh tone. “What if something happened to her?”

“Calm down, Ryo,” Cye said in a gentle, but firm tone of voice. “I’m sure she’s around here somewhere. Let’s split up and look for her. We all meet by the entrance, got it?”

Everyone nodded in agreement and went their separate ways. The Bearer of Wildfire pushed and maneuvered through the busy crowd. His nerves were on high alert as his eyes shifted in every direction. Something must have happened for her to just leave like that. With his teeth clenched together in worry, he ran past the second flight of stone steps. He paused and walked back to the second entrance that led to the temple. One by one he climbed the steps until he got to the top.

He took a bow before entering the area. The same colored lanterns were strung around the old building, providing decent amount of light for him. He slowly walked around the area until he heard a noise coming from the side of the temple. Making his way around the building, he saw Natsumi up against the siding; her legs were pulled up against her chest and her head was buried in her knees.

“Natsumi?” he asked softly, trying not to startle the poor woman.

The brunette picked up her head; tears were flowing down her now red cheeks. Her chest was rapidly rising and falling as she gasped for breath. “R-Ryo…”

He knelt down in front of her and wiped away the salty tears from her rosy cheeks with his thumbs. “What happened?”

“I thought I saw… my father. I p-panicked and took off running. I-I didn’t know where to go. I saw the steps and I just ran up them. I didn’t want to go back, Ryo. I don’t want to feel unwanted…” More tears made their escape from her red, puffy eyes.

Ryo took her into his strong arms and hugged her tightly. He could feel the moisture from her tears on his yakuta. “I’m here. It’ll be okay.” She nodded into his chest. “Why don’t we go home?”

“I would like that,” she said. “I’m sorry if I ruined the evening.”

“Nonsense. You didn’t do anything wrong. You made it this far, and, to me, that’s a brave move. I’m proud of you,” Ryo smiled. He kissed her on the forehead before getting up. He held out his hand, helping her get to her feet. “Let’s go meet the others at the entrance.”

 

“Did you find her?” Kento asked as he ran over toward Hana and Cye.

“If we did, she would have been here waiting with us,” Cye replied.

“Hardy har har. Very funny, Cye,” Kento said sarcastically.

Hana smiled at the two men, and then looked in front of her. Two figures were coming their way. “There they are!” She pointed at Ryo, who had his arm around Natsumi. She looked like she was trying to hide from the people around them. “What happened?”

“Natsumi thought she saw her father amongst the crowd and panicked. She ran to the temple,” Ryo explained. “I think we should get going, just in case he is here.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Cye agreed and led the way down the long stoned staircase with the others right behind him.

 

Kento was the first to enter the house. He flicked the light switch on the wall by the front door, turning on the overhead lights in the kitchen. Everyone else followed suit into the house. Hana headed straight for the bathroom before anyone else could claim it. Kento noticed that the red light on the answering machine was blinking, indicating that there was a message. He pressed play and listened.

“Kento, are you there? This is Mama. I guess you’re not home. Please call me when you get a chance. I’m at the restaurant.”

“I wonder what she needs,” Kento said more to himself than to the others that were standing nearby. He picked up the receiver and dialed his mother’s number.

Ryo looked down at his girlfriend and smiled. “Why don’t you go rest? It’s been a long day for you.”

“C-Can I stay with you?” she asked softly. “I would rather be with you, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is. Why don’t you go ahead up to my room and wait for me,” he said. The timid woman nodded her head in agreement. She said her goodnights to Cye and Kento before exiting the room.

“Well, my mom is having trouble down at the restaurant,” Kento said after hanging up the phone. “Apparently two cooks and one waiter went home sick and a party of forty just showed up. Talk about perfect timing.”

“I’ll go with you,” Hana volunteered as she emerged from the restroom.

“You don’t have to,” Kento said with a wave of his hand. “It’s your day off.”

“I know, but your mother has done so much for me. The least thing I can do is go help,” Hana argued.

Kento let out a sigh through his mouth and shook his head with a smile. “Okay. You win this round.” He looked at Ryo and Cye. “Looks like we’re going into work for a bit. Hold down the fort while we’re gone.”

“You got it,” Cye said with a smile. “Don’t overwork yourselves, okay?”

Hana giggled and kissed Cye on the lips. “Not making any promises.”

“I knew you would say something along those lines,” he whispered. “I love you, and be safe.”

“I love you, too,” Hana said and kissed him once more.

Ryo smiled as his two friends made their way out the door. Cye noticed his friend and smiled, as well. “She can be a handful. She doesn’t know when to take it easy,” he said with a shake of his head.

“She’s a hard worker,” Ryo smiled. “And she loves Mama Faun to death, so I can see why she would go in on her day off.”

Cye nodded at the statement and stretched his arms over his head. “Natsumi is waiting for you. You should go to her.”

“Yeah. Have a good night, Cye,” Ryo smile as he left his friend in the kitchen.

 

When Ryo entered his room, he found Natsumi lying down on his bed with her eyes closed. He shut the bedroom door quietly and made his way to the bedside. He gently sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her sleeping form. Her pink lips were parted slightly as her chest gently moved up and down with each breath. He leaned forward and gently kissed her on the lips. Natsumi opened her eyes slowly and smiled as she looked up at the dark-haired warrior.

“I’m sorry,” she yawned. “I was just resting my eyes. Your bed is so comfy.” Ryo chuckled and climbed into bed with her. She moved in closer toward his body, feeling his body heat against hers. She took a deep breath through her nostrils and sighed. “You smell good.”

Blood rose to Ryo’s cheeks at the compliment. “T-Thank you,” he stammered. Natsumi wrapped her arms around his torso, bringing her body closer to his. He placed his hand under her chin and kissed her lightly on the lips. Her arms involuntarily moved around his neck, deepening the kiss. Their tongues danced with one another as Ryo let out a soft groan. He reluctantly broke the kiss, his breathing uneven. “I’m sorry, Natsumi. I got carried away.”

“I was the one who deepened the kiss…” she said shyly with her cheeks rosy pink.

“Natsumi, I love you so much and I…” He stopped mid-sentence and met her eyes. Blue pools were staring back at him, listening to every word he was saying. He swallowed the lump that had formed in the middle of his throat. He knew what Cye meant at the festival; he wasn’t that oblivious, but he never went through the actual motion before. “I-I want to show you…” He closed his eyes and shook his head. He felt like a total idiot.

Natsumi placed her right index finger over his slightly chapped lips and smiled. “I know what you mean.”

“You do?” he asked. His cheeks were increasing in color as he waited for an answer.

“I-I do, and I want you to,” she said shyly.

Ryo blinked a couple of times before speaking. “Are you sure?”

“Ryo, I have never been surer about anything in my whole life. I want to escape from this reality and be one with you,” she said with tears in her eyes. “No one has never really loved me.”

“Well, that’s about to change,” he said and kissed her again fully on the lips.

His tongue entered her mouth, tasting her once again. His left hand traveled down her chest and rested itself on her breast. A muffled moan escaped from her throat as he gently massaged her breast with his hand. He broke the kiss and moved over to the nook of her neck, suckling on the sensitive skin. His name rang in his ears as he continued his work. She took one hand and placed it between his legs, feeling his growing erection through his yukata. Ryo groaned as he sat up and undid her yukata, as well as his own. The two of them stared at one another, taking in each other’s naked form.

Natsumi could feel her entire face heat up as her eyes scanned Ryo’s chiseled torso. She had no idea how toned he was. He unhooked her bra, exposing her erect nipples. Her thoughts were interrupted when a wave of new pleasure coursed through her body. His tongue flicked across her nipple while the other hand massaged the other breast. With one hand, she moved down between her legs and rubbed her swollen bud that yearned to be touched.

“No, let me,” Ryo said huskily and removed her hand. He removed her wet panties in one fluid motion before moving down between her legs.

“Oh, God!” she cried as every nerve ending in her body reacted. She placed both hands on Ryo’s head, keeping him in place. “Ryo…” She looked up at the ceiling with her eyes half-closed as she felt her end drawing near with each flick of his tongue. Natsumi’s slender legs twitched as Ryo continued to suck on her clit. “Ryo… I can’t… please…” Warmth erupted throughout her body as her orgasm washed over her. Her body jerked uncontrollably as her juices flowed into his waiting mouth.

The Bearer of Wildfire sat up and licked his lips. Natsumi could feel her legs tingle as she was brought back down from her recent orgasm. She looked over and saw him place latex over his painfully erect member.

This was it.

He moved in between her legs and looked at her in the eyes. “Are you sure about this?” he asked one last time. “We don’t have to do this. I would understand if you decide not to.”

“I want to, Ryo,” Natsumi said softly. “I’ve been waiting for this.”

“It’s going to hurt for a few seconds,” he said. She only nodded and closed her eyes. He took one last breath before thrusting forward. A painful cry escaped her lips as pain erupted. Keeping still, Ryo stroked her cheek with his thumb. Tears ran down the side of her face as she looked up at him. “I won’t move until you tell me to.”

“I’m okay,” she cried. “Just move slowly.” Ryo nodded and started to thrust in slow motions. The pain slowly started to subside and pleasure started to take over. Her breathing picked up as she grabbed Ryo’s arms for support. “Faster…”

Ryo grunted as he picked up his pace, her inner walls clamping down on him with each thrust. “So tight…” He groaned her name as he slammed into her, the sound of their sweaty bodies slapping together driving him insane.

“Are you close?” she asked as she watched Ryo bite back a moan.

“Yeah… very close,” he grunted as he felt his balls start to tighten. “God…” She placed her hand between her legs once more and rubbed vigorously, moaning in pleasure. She felt the pressure increase in her stomach each time Ryo moaned her name. “I’m going to cum…” He bent down and took her lips before grunting his release. After feeling his warmth, she followed with her own.

Ryo collapsed onto Natsumi, panting heavily. With his eyes half-opened, he looked down at the woman he just made love to for the first time. She looked up at him lazily, her chest quickly moving up and down, strands of her brown hair clinging to the sides of her face. He leaned forward and gently kissed her.

“I love you, Natsumi,” he said softly. Exhaustion was slowly taking over his body as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.

“I love you, too, Ryo. And thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for loving me the way you do.”

He smiled down at her and rested his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat slowly return to normal. Soon, the two of them succumbed to sleep in each other’s arms.

 

The smell of bacon woke Natsumi up the next morning. She sat up slowly in bed, rubbing the sleep from the corners of her eyes. Rays of sunshine were breaking through the small slit between the red curtains. A small smile formed on her lips as she looked at the warm rays. She turned her head to her left and saw that the spot next to her was empty. Resting on the end of the bed was her pink nightgown.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got to her feet. She was sore between her legs as she walked over to get her nightgown. After slipping the light fabric on, she walked out of the room toward the delicious aroma.

Cye was sitting at the island on one of the stools when she entered the kitchen. A hot plate of food containing sunny side up eggs, toast, and, of course, bacon was in front of him. He had the paper open to the side, not noticing her arrival.

“Anything good today?” she asked.

Cye picked up his head and noticed the brunette standing at the entrance to the kitchen. A smile formed on his lips. “Nothing too exciting. Did you sleep well? Would you like me to make you something?” he asked.

Natsumi shook her head. “It’s okay. I can make something. I don’t want you to get up,” she replied. She made her way to the fridge. Cye watched her, taking note to the stiffness in her gait. After getting out the carton of eggs, she maneuvered over to the stove. “Where’s Ryo?”

“Work. He left about two hours ago,” Cye replied. “He wanted me to make sure you were alright.”

She turned her head and looked at Cye, her cheeks bright red. “D-Did he tell you?”

“Tell me what? I don’t know what you are talking about,” Cye smiled. “But I did notice that you have been walking weird.”

“Oh, my God,” she whispered to herself and closed her legs together, wincing afterwards.

Cye got up from his seat and made his way toward the red-faced woman. “Calm down, Natsumi. I was already aware. He came to me earlier and asked if I had any condoms. Just in case something came up. There is no need to be embarrassed with me.”

“B-But…”

“Make your breakfast and eat. It’s okay.”

The brunette nodded her head slowly, still feeling embarrassed about the whole thing. Who else knew?

Hana entered the kitchen with a yawn. “What’s up, guys? Something smells amazing,” she said, rubbing her eyes with her hand. She looked at Natsumi who was still bright red. “What’s wrong, Natsumi?”

“N-Nothing!” she exclaimed, dropping the spatula on the tiled floor.

Hana looked at her friend dumbfounded before looking at her boyfriend, who was trying hard not to laugh. “What on Earth is going on?”

“Nothing, hon. Good morning,” he chuckled.

“Good morning,” Hana said. “I have to get ready for work.”

“Let me at least make you something before you go,” Cye offered. “You are going to need the energy, being that you came home awfully late last night.”

“Yeah. After work, we went to his house for a bit,” Hana smiled. She always enjoyed going over there and seeing Chun Fa. “You can fix me something small.” Hana turned and headed back to the bedroom with Cye following suit. He closed the door behind him and wrapped his strong arms around her tiny frame. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to feel you in my arms,” Cye whispered.

Hana leaned her body against his and closed her eyes, taking in the moment with just the two of them. “So, what was that about with Natsumi?”

Cye chuckled in her ear. “She and Ryo had a nice night together after you two left.”

Hana’s eyes flew open at the explanation. She turned around to look at Cye in the eyes. “Get out. They finally did something?”

Cye nodded. “But let her tell you if she wants. She got really embarrassed.”

“I can see that. That’s good, though. Those two are evolving as a couple. I’m happy for them,” Hana smiled.

“Me, too,” Cye said and kissed Hana lightly on the lips before heading out of the room to make her food.

 

Jaaku walked quickly down the dimly lit hallway. Lord Taikoku had summoned him with great importance. He stopped at the iron door and knocked a few times before entering the dark, cold room. He got down on one knee and bowed his head. “You wished to see me, my lord?” he asked in a nasally voice.

“Pick up your head, Jaaku,” Taikoku said in a strong tenor voice.

The older man picked up his head and saw a tall figure standing before him. He was about 6’2” with medium-length silver hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. His complexion was white as the snow. His yellow eyes stared down at him, a thin smile spread across his lips.

Jaaku just stared at his master in wonderment. “M-My lord…” he stuttered, pleased to see him up on his feet.

“You did well, Jaaku,” Taikoku praised. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. “I have been studying the mortal realm. The people have advanced while I was asleep.” He handed Jaaku the crystal ball. “I know now how to get my army back and my power.”

“Y-you do?” Jaaku inquired. “Please, master, do inform me.”

“I am still weak, but these mortals have vast amount of energy for the taking. I can make them into my soldiers in exchange for their precious life energy,” he explained. “What a great privilege it would be to be a part of my great army?”

“I am honored to be one of your servants,” Jaaku said, bowing his head down once more. “I think it is a great idea.”

Taikoku smirked at his loyal subject. At least he had one person who was reliable, unlike the others. “It’s settled, then. I’ll make my descent down to the mortal world and get my fill. In the meantime, I want you to keep researching who these mortals are that possess the armors of my idiot brother. I expect results when I return.”

“Of course, Master. I will get right on it. What about the twins? What would you like them to do in the meantime?”

“Those brats can wait. I do have some use for them, but not now. When I return, I shall have more soldiers to do my bidding. Now go.”

Jaaku bowed once more before getting to his feet. “I wish you the best of luck, my lord.” With one last bow, he exited the room, closed the door behind him, encasing Taikoku in darkness once more.