The Cloaked Samurai

You were standing in the entrance of the palace, dressed in a wedding kimono. You stared into the drizzling rain. A man wearing a crimson cape galloped up to the palace on a scarlet horse. He dismounted and slowly stepped towards you, holding out a pale hand.

"Come, my bride," he murmured in a dark voice. Without seeing his face, you knew this was Keiji. You turned and ran down the corridor. A group of people blocked your way: your Papa, Mama, and Kioko.

"Let me pass!" you begged, glancing behind frantically.

"Where are you going?" they asked. "Your wedding awaits."

"I'm not an empress! I'm a samurai!" you protested. They laughed, their voices sounding distorted and warped.

"A samurai? She's no fighter! This is not her destiny!" they smirked. "She could never avenge our deaths!"

"You're wrong!" you shouted. You pushed past them and continued down the corridor as quickly as you could. The hallway ended in a door, but Farren and Farrah were standing in front of it.

"Fighting and killing does not suit you very well," Farren said.

"You would be much better as a beautiful empress," Farrah smiled. They held out their arms, which were laden in fine silks and jewelry and exotic flowers.

"No!" you yelled, knocking them out of your way. You slid open the door and tumbled to your knees inside. The room was dark, but you could see Takumi standing in front of you.

"You lied to me," he whispered. "You are meant to be the wife of an emperor, not a ninja."

"Takumi, wait! Please!" you begged, reaching out to him.

"This is the last time you will ever see me. Goodbye, Empress _____," Takumi said, turning his back on you and disappearing into the darkness. His fallen comrades appeared around you, their eyes missing and their faces gaunt. They slowly walked towards you, their hands held out. You curled into the fetal position, shaking and calling his name.

"I am right here," Takumi whispered as you suddenly woke up. He kissed you. "You were calling my name in your sleep."

You drew away from him, standing up and still trembling.

"What is wrong?" Takumi asked in confusion.

"You don't understand," you shook your head slowly, feeling guilty and torn. "You don't know who I am or what I've done."

"It was just a dream, Akio," Takumi soothed, standing up and taking your hand. He pulled you towards him and wrapped you in his arms again. You wanted to believe him. You wanted to just forget about the past and never tell him the truth, but surely he would find out one day or another. Today was as good a day as any. You had to do what was right.

"Master Takumi, I..." your voice became lodged in your throat. He tried to comfort you, but you pushed him away.

"I have to tell you something," you murmured. You couldn't stop shaking. It was like the nightmare hadn't ended yet. Your heart screamed for you to stop, telling you it didn't have to be this way. You didn't have to tell him.

"What is it?" Takumi asked, his dark eyes confused and concerned.

"I am the Cloaked Samurai," you finally whispered. The world started spinning. Nothing seemed real. It was all dream-like and surreal. It couldn't be happening. Takumi stepped away from you.

"No. That isn't funny, Akio," he said in a low voice.

"It's not a joke," you trembled, reaching into the folds of your bundle until you finally pulled out the white cloak. You swung it around your shoulders and tied it around your neck. "I was the one who killed your comrades."

"No. It isn't true," Takumi shook his head slowly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie to you! I kept making plans to run away from your group, but the more I was around you, the more I liked you. I didn't want this to happen," you explained quietly.

Takumi closed his eyes and remained completely motionless. When you took a step towards him and held out your hand, he growled, "Stay away from me!"

You drew back, terrified of his unfathomable rage.

"I will give you one day," Takumi murmured. "One day to run as fast and as far as you can. At sunrise tomorrow, I will hunt you down. I will make your life a living hell. You will truly live up to your legend, the cursed samurai. I will destroy every town where you find refuge. I will kill every person who helps you. And when I find you, I will slice out your heart for my prize."

"Takumi..." you whispered.

"Go!" he shouted, his eyes flying open. He looked crazed and angry. "Now!"

You grabbed your bundle and your katana, racing away from him into the forest and fighting back tears.

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You ran as long as you could. Your lungs burned and your legs felt like jelly, but you kept pushing onward. It felt like someone had stabbed you in the side, but it was nothing compared to your aching heart. Not a tear had been shed for Takumi, but you couldn't stand the thought that he had just become your greatest enemy. You would no longer travel together in friendly companionship. Those days were over. The next time you saw him, you would have to fight to the death.

It was better this way, you tried to tell yourself. The man who killed your family was your enemy again. Isn't this the way it should be? Shouldn't the thirst for revenge fill the empty space in your heart?

Your knees buckled, and you fell to the ground, skidding a few inches. You lay face-down for a while, fighting back feelings of loneliness and longing for Takumi. Something inside you would rather be killed by Takumi than live without him.

You knew you had to keep moving. It wasn't safe. His men would come after you at dawn. You had to put as much distance as possible between them and you. The logic in your brain fought against the feelings in your heart.

You balled your hand into a fist, pounding it into the ground as hard as you could.

"Why do things have to be this way?!" you screamed at the sky. A few birds took flight from the treetops. The rest of the forest was silent, refusing to answer your question or take pity on the endless struggles of mankind.

You stayed still, lying on your stomach. You watched as a rabbit hopped out of the bushes. You flinched slightly, and it sprinted away.

You were just like that rabbit now. You were the prey, hunted by any number of foxes or wolves. The rabbit didn't take time to think about the feelings of predators. It didn't let emotions rule its life. It only thought about hiding and running and surviving. This was the way you must become. You must choke back emotions and thoughts for the enemy. You could only use your mind now, cold and calculating. This was the only way for you to live from now on.

And wasn't survival man's greatest goal?