Shizumaru and his allies crossed the mountains and found a small village up north...not a lot of people live here, and it's very peaceful..
"damn, this sux." said Hoahmaru, "this village got NO sake, no samurai for a challenge, and worst of all THERE'S NO PRETTY GIRLS HERE!"
"i heard that." said Charlotte
"doens't anything interesting happen in this town? it's so boring." said Cella
"i don't know, does the festival count?" said Kazuki, reading a poster he found somewhere
"THE FESTIVAL??!!!" Cella grab the paper and push Kazuki away
"HEY!!! ..bitch." said Kazuki
Cella reads the thing, "...IT'S TONIGHT!!!" then she sighs, "..::SIGHS:: FINALLY SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENS IN THIS STUPID JOURNEY!! I CAN GO TO THE FESTIVAL WITH SHIZUMARU. THE TWO OF US HOLDING HANDS AND KISSING AND ALL THESE SAMURAI JERKS GONE..HMMM....!!!"
"................" rimururu don't even wanna say it.
Shizumaru keeps on walking...he keep thinking about what Nakoruru means about
"FATE". it actually exist? but you control your own future, isn't it....
"[GASPS!!]" Shizu gasps. HIS HEAD START TO HURT SO MUCH!! and everything is getting so dizzy.... he shakes his head and screams in pain,
"AAAAAAAAHH.....!!!!!! AARRGGGHH!!! NOO!!!!"
--[heart-beat]--
[FLASHBACK]
"NOO....NOOOOOO!!!!!! AAAAAAARRGGHH!!!" Shizu's head hurts so much inside....everything is so confusing to him, all he can hear are loud heart-beats of something....
--[heart-beat]--
"SHIZUMARU!!" gasps Charlotte
"YO, MAN CALM DOWN!!" freaks Galford
"AAAAAAAARGGGHH!!!!!! NOOOOOO..!!!!! GET OUT!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" shouts Shizu. he kneels down next to a bucket of water.....then he calms down. his MAJOR head-ache is gone.
"[breathe]" Shizu gain sanity again.... he saw the reflection of the bucket of water...
HIS EYES....
there's a black glow in it...
his eye color turned really dark-red...
like a monster...
"!!!!" he shakes his head, and look at his reflection again. nothing. just normal. normal red eyes. no glow.
".........." he's speechless. was that just his imagination? what happened to him?
"are you ok, dude?" said Galford, "you're getting stranger and stranger..."
Hanzo hesitates...
"WELL WELL WELL, WE MEET AGAIN." said a voice.
it's Sogetsu, with his ninja clan.
"SOGETSU!!" gasps Kazuki, "LEAVE US ALONE!!"
"we spared your life last time!! WHAT DO U WANT NOW?" said Rimururu
"damn you're annoying." said Hoahmaru
"THIS TIME, ALL OF YOU WILL DIE! NO ONE WILL ESCAPE ALIVE!" said Sogetsu
"but there's innocent people here you idiot!!" said Jubei "do i care?" said Sogetsu, "I SUMMON THEE....AVALANCHE!!"
the snow in the mountains start to move...
"SOGETSU!!!" shouts Kazuki, "YOU'LL KILL US ALL!!!"
"not me, just you pathetic fools. HAHAHAH." laughs Sogetsu, then he disappears
[QUAKE]
the earth start to shake..! the snow in the mountains begin to cause an avalanche straight to the village! there's no time to escape...
"i guess this is it." said Hoahmaru, as tons of snow is about to fall onto them. he grab Charlotte and KISS HER
"!!!!" Charlotte freaks out
Shizu closes his eyes, don't really care if his life is gone..., "huh?"
he sense something powerful!
the prophet????!
not far away, there's a BIG GLOW of light...
[BRROOOM] the snow begin to melt before it reaches the village..!
everyone was so surprised...
when the snow are all melted, the glow of light dims... everyone closes their eyes from that bright glow of light into their eyes (ya know, it's like staring at the sun)
but Shizu doesn't care. this glow of light..it's warm... and he can sense who this person is...
"......." Shizu steps forward, "..is it...is it...."
the light is gone.. there's a girl..
"............"

it's Akane

"......." Shizu is speechless
Akane have her eyes closed, and she was praying. her pendant glows a little. then everything is calm again.
"......" Akane slowly opens her eyes.
[silent]
the first person in front of Akane is Shizumaru.
she stops praying, and smiles gently, "....Shizumaru....."
"......" Shizu didn't say anything. he just stare at her. he can't believe it!! she's safe and sound. but how did she escaped from the prophet..? what was that glow..?
he doesn't care. she's here now..

SHE'S FINALLY HERE...

there was a silence. Jubei shakes his head, and saw Akane, "AKANE!!!!!!" Akane turn her head away from Shizu, "daddy.."
Jubei run up to her, "ARE YOU OK?? ARE YOU HURT??? HUH?? I WAS WORRIED!" Hoahmaru and the others went to see Akane too.
Hoahmaru pokes Akane...
"HEY DON'T POKE HER!" yells Jubei
"i was trying to check if she's real." said Hoahmaru, "i mean, how the hell she got here? what happened to the prophet???"
"...the prophet..." whispers Akane
"LEAVE HER ALONE! damn the prophet. she's safe now. that's all it matta." said Jubei
"....yea." whispers Akane, then she smiles, "yea. i'm here now. that's all it matta."
then Shizu went up to her..
"hi Shizumaru.."
"...." Shizu said, "...you're safe, that's good."
then he left..
"what's wrong w/ HIM?" said Galford, "doesn't he miss Akane..?"
Akane lowers her head..

it's night time. the festival is about to start... the festival is celebrated yearly dedicated to the Sacred Sages in the legend. everyone went to have good time, everyone except Shizu...
he's in his room, in the inn, looking outside from the window. looking at the fireworks, and so many people laughing and having fun..
but what's so fun about this festival? just stupid games and foolish shit. what's the point? he don't know what is "fun", cuz he never had fun in his whole life. all he knows is that you have to fight to survive. he doesn't care..but he wonder how it is to feel happy for once.
and that glow in his eyes...
the same glow.....just like the prophet..
[DOOR OPENS]
"...!" Shizu takes his sword, ready to fight
it's Akane. she giggles, "are you always that alert?"
"......" Shizu ignores her, and continue look outside of the window.
"..i'm sorry i interrupted you.." whispers Akane..she was about to leave..
Shizu whispers, "WAIT."
Akane stopped, waiting for him to say something. but nothing came out from his mouth. he just keep staring outside. so she went up to him, and look at outside too, "...hmm..isn't that the festival?"
"......"
"it looks like fun." said Akane
"..and stupid."
"?" Akane faces Shizu. Shizu notice she's staring into his eyes, so he turn his head the other way.
"..you should go to the festival." said Shizu
"hmm..you're right." smiles Akane. she takes his hand, "AND YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!" and they left to the festival...

the festival is like a big party. there's laughter everywhere. everyone is smiling, except Shizu. he's just pissed.
"LOOK, SHIZUMARU! isn't this cute? it's a little fish." smiles Akane
"....." Shizu don't care..
he saw some of his allies fooling around. Hoahmaru (stubborn as usual) is competing against this fat dude in a PIE-EATING contest. Charlotte told him stop before he blows up. Galford, Kazuki and Rimururu watches as Hoahmaru eats like a pig (by the end of the day, he gonna be all out of shape tsk tsk..) Genjuro is drinking some sake in the inn alone. Ukyo closes his eyes and smell the flowers he bought, while the girls in the village stare at him and sighs. Hanzo and Jubei are talking about something....
"...fools." whispers Shizu. they're samurais!! look at them!! they look like drunk monkeys and especially Hoahmaru, WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?! he's 30 or so years old and still playing pies with that fat dude over there. why won't he grow up and be a serious samurai?! and Shizu can't believe he was HIS apprentice...
[BOOM] a little boy accidently bump into Shizu!
he started to cry...
".....aw man..." whispers Shizu, like being stuck isn't bad enough.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" the little boy cried even louder
"AAAAAHH..MAN!!" shouts Shizu, can't stand his crying, "hey..hey!!
SSSSHH!!!!!"
"[CRIED LOUD] WAAAAAAAAAAA~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!"
"!!! grr...damn..!" freaks Shizu, "?" he saw the little fish Akane just told him about, and use whateva money he have saved and bough the fish.
then he hand it to the little boy, "there? you happy? now shut up."
the little boys smiles and run to have more fun
Shizu shakes his head, "..kids."
Akane giggles. Shizu turn to her, "what's so funny?"
she smiles, "that was so ADORABLE! you gave up your money to buy that fish for the little boy."
"...so?" said Shizu, "and i'm a samurai, Akane. i only did that not for charity because that kid cries too damn much."
"uh huh..." Akane keep on looking around the festival
"..IT'S TRUE! hell no i don't care about that kid! i don't care anybody!" said Shizu
Akane turn around, "no one?"
"yes. no one. caring is for weaklings."
"not even me?"
"......uhh..!" Shizu freaks out
Akane giggles, then she walks away. Shizu follows.

[crickets] it's midnight. the night sky is fill with stars...Akane went to a small cliff not very far from the festival. Shizumaru followed. now there's no laughter, no nothing..just peace and quiet.
"::SIGHS:: finally i can sit down!" Akane sits down on the edge of the cliff Shizu sits beside her.
[silent] [crickets]
"...." Akane turn her head to him, "so what did you think about the festival? was it fun or what?"
"........." Shizu didn't face her, "...it was stupid."
Akane smiles
"?" he faces her, "what's so funny? why do you always laugh at me?"
she nods no, "nah..i wasn't laughing at you.."
then she looks up to the sky, "i was just wondering if all true samurais are like you...so serious all the time." then she faces him again, "..i mean, even the strongest samurai must have feelings right?"
"......" Shizu turn away from her, do'nt know what to say
Akane looks up at the sky, "look Shizumaru..isn't it beautiful..?"
Shizu didn't care..
she continues, "stars are really something aren't they? they live on and on and on.....they never die. they stay the same for so many years...the same glow, the same shape..and when you compare it to other stars, they're all the same..nothing special. nothing different."
"........."
"these stars are the same stars we saw 7 years ago at the meadow..they haven't changed at all since the last I saw them.."
"........yea.."
"....and they're all the same." said Akane, then she lowers her head,
"they're so cool...and you know the BEST PART of it? THEY'RE NOT DIFFERENT..they don't have to feel like an outkast from the other stars.." then she whispers, ".. I WISH I WAS LIKE THEM..."
"....?" Shizu don't get it
then Akane looks up, "..day is gonna come soon..i can't believe the night ending already.. time move on so fast, huh?"
Shizu saw something not far away, "..what's that?"
Akane saw it, "hmm..that's the temple. the Sacred Sage Temple..where Kojiro was sealed away years ago.."
"..hmm...aight.." whispers Shizumaru.
the sun is rising...
they both look at the sun rise..
Akane have her head down...she's sad about something..
Shizumaru gets up, "..let's go back. they're probab worried about you."
Akane gets up too. Shizu walks away...
"WAIT..!" Akane stops him. he didn't turn around...
she hesitates...
then she run up to him and HUG HIM FROM BEHIND...
Shizumaru didn't move..didn't do anything...
"..." Akane is sad, she just hug onto him tight, "..Shizumaru...i know you want to tell me something..why are you hiding from me?! i want to know the truth...please... what do you want to tell me..?? i can't stand this anymore.."

she started to cry, "..please Shizumaru....you..you must feel something for me right..?? you must..i can feel it...."

[silent]

Shizu remain silent..
then he gently grab her hands from his waist....
and pull them away.....

".........[gasps]..." Akane have tears in her eyes...

then he said without even looking at her, "....we..have to go back now, Akane.."
then he walks away..
Akane watches him go....
then she lowers her head...
[wind blows] [silent]
someone is standing behind the trees in the cliff next to Akane..
"........" she whispers, "i know... i know what i have to do today. arigato for giving me this night, PROPHET..."


Chapter 18-----Awakening