Succeeded Twice
(Umi and Kotori – night-time day after the duel)
Umi sat in her chamber, with a sleeping Saki in her cot, her Naginata was in front of her and she could see the cut Dia's sword had made.
'At least…I died… to a real… warrior...' Umi sighed as she remembered one of the last things Dia said, the blunette had been trying to make a Haiku for Dia, she didn't want to do it, but it was a Sonoda tradition for them to write one for an honourable foe they had fought.
"Umi?"
Umi turned to see Kotori standing nervously at the entrance of the chamber "Is everything ok Lady Kotori?" Umi asked with a bow.
"Umi, remember the rule." Kotori pouted.
"Sorry, is everything ok Kotori?" Umi corrected, it still felt a little odd saying Kotori's name without the title but it also felt strangely familiar.
"Yes, thank you, have you finished?" Kotori asked.
"Yes, though I can't say I feel comfortable being the one writing it."
"Can I read it?" Kotori asked as she knelt beside the Ronin, Umi nodded and handed the Haiku to Kotori. Umi could remember the words easily, she'd been trying for ages to come up with the write words.
A loyal and gallant friend.
Forced by evil to a fate they did not deserve.
Faced a noble end.
"She'd be proud Umi." Kotori smiled.
"It feels wrong for her murderer to write those words, it should be her sister." Umi sighed with a heavy heart looking down cast at the cut in the Naginata's shaft.
"Umi, you didn't murder her, that was Kira and Sakura."
"But I still swung the executioner's blade Kotori, that's just as bad."
"If not you then it would have been Eli or Rin or someone else." Kotori said placing her hand on Umi's shoulder trying to comfort her "You're not to blame or guilty of anything other than being forced into the situation."
"But I didn't stop Kira before."
"That guilt is mine." Kotori stressed feeling her stomach churn.
"No, it's mine I didn't stop him or protect you, if I had none of this would have happened."
"Umi…" Kotori began, but Umi just stood up making the ashen girl stop.
"Excuse me Kotori." Umi said standing up and walking to the door, the Ronin stopped just as she reached the door and turned back to Kotori and bowed before leaving the room. Letting out a sigh 'It wasn't your fault it was mine.' Umi thought to herself.
Kotori heard a moan come from Saki and she shifted so she was kneeling beside the tiny Sonoda "I know, I'm trying but the famous Sonoda stubbornness is working against me."
"I'll keep trying, for the three of us." Kotori smiled as she held Saki's hand.
(Kotori – After Umi left)
"Kotori, is now a bad time?" Hanayo asked.
Kotori turned to the ashen girl before smiling "Hanayo, is there something you need?"
"Oh, I was looking for Umi, for the Haiku have you seen her?"
"Oh yeah, here." Kotori said before turning and pointing to the table with the Haiku, Hanayo quietly walk over to the Haiku and pick it up, Kotori saw Hanayo silently read it before smiling "Umi always did have a good way with words."
"Yeah, she did." Kotori thought as she remembered the songs Umi used to write for her.
"How are you two by the way?"
"I'm still not sure, I've got her to drop the lady title when we are alone, except for Saki that is." Kotori smiled, before the smile fell away "But I feel anything further is going to be next to impossible, it was a long struggle to get this far, I have moments where I'll think she's about to yield but then at the last moment she springs back."
Hanayo came up and hugged the ashen girl "We never know what will happen next, I'm sure she will come around."
"Thank you." Kotori said as she hugged Hanayo back "I just miss her so much."
"I know, just trust her to come back to you, she's never let you down, she won't now."
"Thanks." Kotori smiled "How are you and Rin doing?"
"Very well thank you." Hanayo smiled before sighing "I just wish she wasn't going away so soon."
"She'll be back before you know it." Kotori smiled "Erm, actually can we talk tomorrow?"
"Yes of course." Hanayo nodded.
(Umi – After leaving)
Umi let out a sigh as walked along the battlements looking off in the distance, a gust of wind blew by and made Umi look in the general direction of her old home, she stood and remembered the happy times she spent there with her sister and Kotori.
'At least…I died… to a real… warrior…' Dia's words entered the Ronin's mind 'A real warrior would never have left their sister alone when they needed them, they would protect their honour, they would never have let Kira get near Kotori.'
At the last thought Umi's frustration increased like a rope around her neck "A real warrior fulfils their promises." Umi muttered sadly as she grabbed some of her hair, remembering the promise she had made to Dia to save the dark-haired girls sister 'How am I going to do that?' Umi pondered to herself 'I've done nothing but fail when it really mattered.' Umi thought to herself.
"Umi, are you ok?" the blunette heard a voice to her side say.
Turning Umi saw Honoka standing with a concerned look "Yes, Lady Honoka." Umi bowed "Is there something you wanted?"
"I wanted to check if you were ok and I didn't see you when Dia was buried, are you ok?" Honoka asked quietly.
"It felt wrong attending."
"But she stood up for you."
"I also killed her; being there at that this time…just felt wrong to me." Umi sighed "I appreciate the concern Lady Honoka, but I'm fine really."
"You're lying Umi, I know you are!"
Umi let out a sigh, she should have known better, Honoka was her best friend and they had grown up together, other than Kotori, she likely knew her the best of anyone else "Do you know what Dia called me before she died?" Umi asked dropping her head slightly.
"No."
"She called me a real warrior."
"And that's a problem?" Honoka asked.
"How am I a real warrior?" Umi sighed as she leaned on the wall of the battlement "I looked and acted like a warrior but when it really mattered, I failed all the time, I failed to help Tatsumi, I failed to save Dia and I couldn't save Kotori from Kira when she needed me the most, I'm nothing but a failure." Umi groaned dropping her head down
"No, you're not!" Honoka said grabbing Umi's arms "You have saved Kotori, twice in fact."
"When?" Umi scoffed not raising her head.
"When we first met, you single handily took on and defeat an ambush that was waiting for us."
"Those were hardly a real threat."
"Umi, Kotori didn't have armour on and I remember at least one archer there, one lucky shot and they could have hit Kotori." Honoka shouted, before Umi could say anything the ginger carried on "And you saved her at the duel."
This made Umi raise her head in confusion "How?"
"Umi, the terms of that duel were if you lost Kotori, me and Tsubasa, we all would be handed over to Kira, you fought a duel to save her and save her inheritance, that's sounds like a real warrior to me."
Umi looked at her friend confused a second before the mystery voice spoke up 'See you did save your Lady, you're not a failure.' Umi felt a small flicker of light ignite a second before her honour dropped a bucket of water on it and extinguished it just as fast 'It still doesn't detract from your failures.'
"Even if what you say is right, it won't change my three massive failures Lady Honoka." Umi said gloomily "And I'm still too shamed take up my sword or rekindle anything with Kotori."
"Well if you count the two times you saved Kotori from possible harm then your only really on one failure." Honoka said trying to sound encouraging.
Umi found herself smiling at her friends attempts to cheer her up and while she didn't believe them, she did welcome the attempt "I'm lucky to have you as a friend Lady Honoka, your constant positivity was always nice to have around."
"Aw Umi thanks," Honoka smiled "I'm lucky to have you as a friend to, if only to give me advice and keep me out of trouble."
"Like the tree?"
"Umi!" Honoka shouted with scowl "Can't you let that go?"
Umi let out a small laugh at their friend's antics before letting out a sigh "Would you take some advice from me now Lady Honoka?"
"Of course, always."
Umi looked at her friend with a disbelieving look at the always part before continuing "You love Lady Tsubasa don't you?"
"Of course with all my heart."
"Then don't end up like me, be happy with Lady Tsubasa and never let her go and don't fight for honour and glory, fight for love, trust me honour and glory don't keep you happy or warm, only love does that."
Umi said before looking up at the night and letting out a sigh "It's getting late and we should head in, you better not keep your love waiting, its bad manners."
Umi saw Honoka give her a surprise look for a second, before seeing her smile a second "You know, you sounded like your old self for a second there." Honoka said with a smile as she walked away.
(Kotori – Night-time)
Kotori was laying on her futon staring at the ceiling unable to sleep, when she heard a sudden shuffling next to her, sitting up she saw Umi thrashing about 'Is she having another nightmare?' Kotori thought as she looked over to Umi 'It must be bad if she's moving like that, she is sweating like mad.' Kotori noted as she looked at the girl holding onto the girls left hand trying to give as much comfort as she could send through it.
"Dia." Umi whimpered suddenly thrashing her head to one side away from Kotori.
The ashen girl kept her hand holding Umi's, she brushed Umi's hair hoping it might help, but it didn't "Tatsumi!" Umi said as she moved like she was in pain, Kotori bite her lip as a she saw Umi let out a whimper as she turned her head to face Kotori, the ashen girl could see a tear escape the Ronin's eye.
"Dishonoured." Umi groaned as she kicked her legs out, Kotori wasn't sure what she should do, she contemplated waking her but she didn't think this would help and she didn't want Umi to see the nightmare through.
"No." Umi whimpered in a voice that sounded on the verge of tears.
In desperation she did what Umi did when she had nightmares, she pulled the blunette into a hug, holding her head to her chest with a hand and stroking the back of Umi's head, Umi made a few panicked noises for a second, grabbing both the front and back of Kotori's Yukata and Kotori thought Umi might wake up, but to her relief Umi seemed to settle down and her breathing became more relaxed.
Kotori let out a sigh once she was sure Umi was settled, Umi then let out a moan and pulled on Kotori's Yukata, it was then she noticed she'd stopped stroking Umi's head, Kotori smiled and began stroking the blunettes head again.
"Kotori." Umi said sleepily.
"It's ok Umi." Kotori whispered, "I'm with you." Kotori said before placing a gentle kiss on Umi's head before she closed her eyes still stroking the girls head as she drifted off to sleep.
"If you need a sword in your dreams, let it be me my little samurai." Kotori whispered.
"I promise, I won't let anything happen you." Umi mumbled as Kotori felt the blunette nuzzle closer to her.
(Umi - Dream)
Umi stood facing four figures hidden by shadows, Umi reached for her sword only to feel nothing there, she glanced down and saw her blade was gone, as she looked up, she saw one of the figures take a step forward, before taking their mask off "Dia?" Umi said in a shocked whisper.
"Traitor!" Dia shouted before she drew her own blade and slashed at Umi.
Umi staggered back from the strike, feeling a burning sensation run across her body where Dia's strike had been.
Umi looked up and saw that Dia had disappeared and the next person stepping forward taking off their mask and their helmet, to reveal darker blue hair and lighter amber eyes then her own "Tatsumi?" Umi said shocked as she looked at her sister's eyes and saw nothing but anger.
"Deserter!" Tatsumi shouted as she drew her blade and this time thrust it, the strike hit Umi centre of her stomach, making Umi staggered backward and again where the strike hit her Umi felt a burning.
Again Tatsumi disappeared and the next figure appeared, they took their mask off and Umi saw the red eyes of her copy, she drew her bow and aimed "Dishonoured." She spoke before losing her arrow hitting Umi in the chest, the strike making Umi drop to her knees.
"Your honour blinded you to what I was doing." Came Kira's voice as he stepped out from the shadow.
"No." Umi muttered weakly as Kira drew his sword and put the blade to Umi's neck "And now it will tear you apart, leaving you open and when you're at your lowest I will strike!" Kira said before he brought the sword back and then swung it down.
Just as the blade hit her neck Umi's eyes was blinded by a bright light.
(Umi – Dream - at aged twelve)
Umi opened her eyes and saw Kotori running up to her "Umi!"
"Kotori, I didn't know you arrived, I'm sorry." Umi said standing up and bowing.
"Umi, its fine." Kotori said with a pout.
"Sorry, it's just you're the heir."
"But we're also friends."
"Sorry."
"It's ok." Kotori smiled, before she jumped forward and hugged Umi tight.
Umi was caught off guard by the act, but then wrapped her arms around Kotori "You always did enjoy hugging me." Umi smiled.
"Of course, you're really soft, my little samurai."
"Kotori!" Umi said feeling her cheeks heat up at the ashen girls words and the nickname "You shouldn't say things like that, its shameless."
"Sorry and it's true." Kotori said, "Do you not like hugging me?"
"No I do…" Umi stammered caught off guard by the question, "You're really gentle Kotori." Umi said tensing up at saying something shameless.
"Thanks so are you." Kotori said hugging Umi tighter oblivious to Umi's minor panic.
The two stayed in the embrace for a while before Kotori moved her head up to look at Umi but keeping the hug going "Umi?" Kotori said quietly.
"Yes?"
"Promise you'll never leave me."
Umi smiled at the ashen girl "I promise no matter how far I may have to go; I will always find my way back to you."
"Thanks Umi." Kotori smiled "I feel safer already."
"Anything for you Kotori." Umi smiled back 'I promise, I won't let anything happen you.' Umi thought to herself.