Fate, Soul and Destiny

Fate, Soul and Destiny.

A/N unfortunately since my first story got eaten up I decided to write something new. This is actually going rather well so yay!!!


Disclaimer: I own nothing of any of these characters except for the one I created with my skills. This is the only chapter I am posting my disclaimer so HA!

Chapter 1: The New Warrior


At a massive home on the outskirts of the Lord Gohda's land a singular shadow ran across the roof, the only thing giving him away was the glint of his sword. Below the shadow a trio of gaurds were patrolling and talking, not notcing the shadow as it slid down the roof and onto the walkway behind them. Moments later a sword exploded through the middle gaurds neck. But before the other two could react the shadow was already jamming a pair of needles into their skulls. All three dropped in the space of a few seconds and Rikimaru was pulling his sword from the middle ones neck as blood pooled about. The ninja's face was expressionless as he turned and began walking away. Those three were part of a whole and their core would die soon too. It was not slavery or corruption that this Merchant was accused of no....this ones gaurds had murdered an entire village. The Azuma smirked as he walked to the door that the three had been gaurding and slid it open soundlessly. This merchant, Shoma, would pay the price for needless killing. He slid around the corner and made his way down the hall, wondering if Ayame was making any progress.

On the other side of the house Ayame was dragging a corpse into another room. This one had been hard to kill, and she sported a long thin cut along her right thigh because of it. Silently she cursed as she hauled the body to a closet and stuffed it inside. Why did these people have to get delusions of granduer? Damn fools. When she had a moment, she peeled aside the ruined clothe of her leggings to examine the wound. It wasn't deep and that relieved her as she produced a small cloth that she pressed hard against the wound to stop the blood flow before she poured a small bit of the healing potion upon the wound. It stung slightly on contact, but soon the wound was closing up. Once that had been done she crept out of the room, quiet as a mouse, making her way down the hall she froze when she heard the footsteps of the gaurd. When the man turned the corner he stopped. He could have sworn he saw a shadow. Ayame watched from her place on the cieling before dropping onto the man, and in one sickening motion she twisted her thighs, snapping his neck before back flipping off his head. Instead of dropping, he fell to his knees, his head twisted ninety degrees, his face frozen in that surprised look. Ayame grinned to herself as she snuck down the hallway, in her opinion that had been so worth the risk of getting caught. She encountered little resistance as she went, having to only kill one or two gaurds plus a cat before she reached the main bedroom.

Rikimaru watched silently through a crack in the door, saying nothing as Ayame crouched beside him. When he did lookat her his good eye glittered softly and he spoke in a whisper. "You are right Ayame, he is indeed very ugly." Ayame hid a grin and spoke ina soft voice. "Told you so Rikimaru, he has also been a bad boy. Lets make him regret torching that town." Rikimaru nodded his assent and pulled both doors open, and approached the Merchant he drew his blade, pressing it to his neck, then leapt back when Shoma fell back, his head and spine falling from his body. Even Ayame who had seen and done plenty of killing in her life had to turn away to hold back the rising bile. A breeze brushed past Rikimaru and he looked to the open window and the figure crouching like a gargoyle upon the sill. "Who are you?" The figure slipped down and rose up, shedding the cloak, causing both Ayame and Rikimaru to look at the pale warrior his accent, was different, exotic when he spoke. "Lord Gohda sent me to find you two and take care of this pit slime. I am called Aaron by my allies, and Vertigo to those that are not. Niether of you are enemies, so I guess I could count you as allies." The warrior looked at the blade then to Rikimaru and raised an eyebrow, and then looked to Ayames raised blades, and a wild grin spread across his lips and he spoke in an amused tone. "You think you could take me? Put them away, you two losing your lives is not worth it plus I need your help. But first let us return to Gohda castle so that I can explain myself."

Both ninjas looked at him, stunned, this man was serious...not many who claimed they would kill them could back it up, but this one was deadly serious. Ayame leaned over and whispered into Rikimaru's ear. "What should we do?" Rikimaru shrugged and looked squarely into the tall warriors green eyes."What proof do you have that you are an ally?" Aaron smiled thinly and from a pocket there was a small tinkling sound that had Ayame gripped her daggers all the tighter as he removed the small bells. "Lord Gohda's daughter gave these to me in the case that I found you, Ayame, or the both of you. Doubt me now..." Ayame pushed past Rikimaru, snatching the Sister Bells from his hands. "You have no right to have these!" A smile came to the face of the tanned warrior, and he brushed his black hair from his face, revealing smooth features of a westerner. He stared at Ayame for a long moment before a grin flirted across his lips in a way that the young Azuma found incredibly annoying. But before he could speak there were several shouts outside the room and window, and before either Azuma could protest he grabbed them both about the waist and slammed a flash bomb down just as the gaurds rushed in weapons drawn, blinding them. Less than a few minutes later, on the other side of the wall the warrior let go of the two struggling ninjas then bent over gasping for breath. He stilled when he felt the hand on his shoulder, and when he didn't feel the touch of their blades agasint him he straightened up and turned to Rikimaru as the ninja spoke. "If what you say is true and you need our help, then let us discuss this at our village." Aaron simply nodded and followed the Azuma at a reasonable pace.

It was not Rikimaru or Aaron that broke the silence but Ayame and the question was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "What part of Japan do you come from? I have never seen anyone dress or look as you do." Aaron smiled softly and replied to the girl. "I am not from Japan. My people....my true people come from the east, though I traveled here from the West. From a Country called England." The woman nodded as he continued on. "My people are warriors and farmers, like yours though we do not bow to any lord, we have tribal chieftans and shamans to guide us. The people from England called us Indians...my Tribe in English would be the Apache...but enough of me for now. I will tell you more when we are safer--" What ever would have been said was cut off by a gutteral growl, and from a wolf as it stepped from the trees. Instead of stepping back and raising his weapons like Ayame and Rikimaru were, Aaron stepped forward and knealt down infront of the wolf. When it snarled at him Rikimaru stepped forward, but was stopped when the Indian raised his hand to stop him. He backed off and shrugged at Ayame's questioning look. Soo the wolf's growls quieted, and it hesitantly stepped forward, stepping back skittishly when Aaron held out his hand to the wolf opening his pal to reveal the small treat. Again it stepped forward, slowly, keeping a weather eye out and it ears came up and its hackles lowered, and this time without fear the white wolf stepped forward confidnetly, taking the small treat from Aarons hand. Gently he ran his fingers through the fur and there was a surprised whisper from Ayame. "I don't believe it...he tamed it. How did you do that?" The warrior rose up and the wolf stood at his side, and he spoke in a soft voice. "To understand an animal, one must sometimes become one. Snow Heaven understands that which is why she is not threatened by me. And because I offered her food, without raising my hand or letting either of you hurt her, she knows that she has allies. For now she will stay with us...or even longer if she so chooses. Come, we must leave this place...the spirits of nature do not approve of any of us." Both Ninjas nodded and all four set out at once to the village.

When they reached the villages entrance Aaron stopped, closing his eyes and inhaling the air and when he let out a breath he smiled in a way that would relax even the toughest of souls and said. "This.....reminds me of home." He grinned a bit then ruffled the she-wolfs fur as the continued into the village. Rikimaru pulled away the cloth covering his mouth, thoughtfully running his fingers over his closed eye as they walked through the village, passing numerous men, women and children leading them up the hill to a thatched house. Rikimaru immidiately split off from the trio, calling over his shoulder to Ayame "Show him where he and his wolf may rest. There is something I need to do." And like that he was gone around the corner of the house. Aaron only raised a brow and looked at Ayame who sighed half heartedly "He always treats me like this. Over ten years working together and he still treats me like a child in training....come on. I'll show you a room." She started walking down the halls and Aaron asked as he followed her "How did he lose his eye?" The woman stiffened slightly then relaxed and replied "To a man that is now dead." Aaron frowned slightly then shrugged. Off limits....or he had to ask Rikimaru. Ayame pulled a door open and nodded inside. "Here, you and your wolf can stay here. If you need anything, soap sand is in one of the cupboards, there is a small hotspring we use to bath in and what not......what are you doing?" Aaron was prowling about the room while she had been talking opening all the windows to let the air and what was left of the moon light in. From a pocket on the jacket he wore he pulled a small circle with what looked like a web, strung with beads and feathers, and he replied "I am hanging my dream catcher." Ayame stared at him for a moment. "Your dream what?" Aaron was already removing his jacket and Ayame sucked in a breath at the amount of scars on the indians body but when he spoke she came to attention. "My dream catcher....when I was young my people made these to catch the dreams that came in at night....The Good Dreams slipped through the hole in the very center, while evil dreams and spirits were caught in the web, and feathers. When the sunlight spills in, the evil spirits and dreams are destroyed by the cleansing light." Ayame nodded and he turned his head to her. "Maybe one day Ayame, I will show you and Rikimaru how to make one. Goodnight." And like that he shut her out in one effective phrase that had Ayame glaring at the Indian. Letting her temper guide her she stomped out of the room and to her own, stripping out of her sweaty clothes and crawling under the blankets.

On the otherside of the house Rikimaru was rubbing some of his healing potion onto his closed eye. Maybe one day it would heal he thought....then maybe things would beomce right again, before....before the master had died.There was a light knock on the door and he turned his head slightly, then rose up when he saw Aaron leaning against the wall "What do you want?" Aaron shrugged his scarred shoulders and replied "You know Ayame still feels that you treat her like a child." Rikimaru gritted his teeth "She still acts like one." Aaron snapped right back at him "She is trying very hard to do her best and you don't even praise her? Not even a little?" Rikimaru snarled and quickly reined in his mounting temper, reply in his calmest voice "Aaron a ninja does not give praise to another, it is our way." Aaron shook his head "You got piss poor customs, Ayame is not like you or your fallen brethren before her, she has a destiny though she does not know it yet. One day you will see it and you will realize what I mean. Anyways I came to tell you that in the morning I will tell you everything I can. Expect Snow Heaven to wake you up." With that the Indian turned away, leaving the Azuma to his peace.


Morning found Rikimaru, still awake and when Snow Heaven poked her nose in he rose up and followed the wolf outside where the indian sat upon a large rock on his knees. His eyes opened but he waited for Rikimaru to speak first. "What is this destiny you say she.....or infact all of us have to follow." Aaron waved a hand at the Azuma to join him by the cliff face, then he pointed to the people below, just beginning their chores. "What do you see when you look at them?" Rikimaru looked questioningly at Aaron then looked out at the people, watching them for a long moment before answering. "I see people trying to make a way of life for themselves. Doing their best to make do with what they have." Aaron nodded "From that point of view yes. Let me tell you what I see." He pointed to a woman with several children outside, "That woman over there is teaching, but in looking at her body language you can tell she is content to teach for the rest of her life. She doesn't need or want anything else. Her daughter sitting at the window of their home is dreaming of her love and while working she will be leaving soon to go to Gohda Castle and the surrounding village." His gaze travelled over the small village and he nodded to an old man working in the rice field "That man there is working hard. Why?" Rikimaru thought hard then it dawned on him when he saw a small child come out of the old mans house. "So he may spend as much time as he can with his grandson..." Aaron nodded "The boy is from a village across the river, and sees his grandfather once or twice a month I am willing to bet. Rikimaru, its not our skills that defines us, but our drives, when you talk to Ayame later, you will understand why she is trying so hard. Think on it." As he turned and walked away Rikimaru turned to him "Vertigo.....thank you." He stopped and nodded, then continued on, moving down the path to the hotspring that Ayame had talked of.


A/N Muahahaha ITS ALIVE!!!! Read and Review makes for a happy soul.