Diplomacy on a Beach? Why, yes! [Himitsu, or Invite][NR]

Her silvery gaze was fixated on the constantly churning storm out in the ocean. It was almost funny to watch in her honest opinion: the storm that was keeping the tourist at bay, keeping their ships from being able to leave port and bring them over. Her own little island was bright, warm, sunny, and otherwise the perfect spot for a vacation. But out in the sea, a storm that would never be able to reach or affect her island (given all of the people on it capable of controlling the weather) was churning violently, causing all kinds of chaos and mayhem.

A yawn escaped the small female as she remained lounged on the beach, skin having already taken on a sun-kissed look, made more so by the white tank top and white long basketball shorts she was currently wearing. An over-shirt balled up beneath of her red hair kept her hair, as she laid on her back, from becoming coated with sand. Her halo almost invisible in the brightness the sun offered.

Lips were forming words as she sang softly, just watching the storm, and waiting for something to do, "Happiness stumbled upon a chapel last night and I can't help but back up when I think of what happens inside. I've got friends locked in boxes, that's no way to live. What you're calling a sin isn't up to them. After all, after all I thought we were all your children. But I will die for my own sins, thanks a lot. We'll rise up ourselves, thanks for nothing at all. So up off the ground, our forefathers are nothing but dust now. I'll put one foot in front of the other one..." Her voice trailed off as she began to hum softly. Anything at all could pop up and happen now and she'd be more than happy for the distraction - especially because she'd been in the same spot for over an hour, just watching that horrible looking storm off in the distance.

Sighing she stepped across the sand. She hated walking on sand. She kept sinking and sliding and stumbling all over the place. She felt so ungraceful to say the least. Sand hitting her on the face, getting in her hair, somehow finding ways to migrate into her boots...

Sand between her toes while her shoes where still on. No. This did not please her one single bit. That damn shifting layer made her look like an awkward duckling, flopping about on overly large feet and flailing with in the lack of balance.

She was ready to give up on walking across this damned beach when she saw someone out sun bathing... Red hair... Little frame... Sugure no Shima... Yeah that was the person she was looking for... But she didn't want to harass the girl with diplomacy when she looked to be enjoying herself... Childhood was a precious and fleeting thing that should never be wasted. Himi had found that out the hard way when she had been promoted to family head at the age of nine years old after her father's rather public assassination.

I grew up too fast too soon. She thought to herself as she stopped her walking and sat in the sand about twenty feet from the girl. She was sure that the fellow boss had felt her presence long before now; Himitsu would be acknowledged when the younger female chose to acknowledge her.

As of right now? Himitsu was going to try to enjoy the warmth of the sun and ignore all of the sand getting in every single crack and crevice on her body. She was a damn near albino, her eyes a ghostly light periwinkle blue, her hair starkly white, her skin a few clicks pinker than a sheet of printer paper. The only splash of colour she had was the few scattered freckles across the bridge of her nose and her thin cheeks, and if she happened to wear something that wasn't pure white... which right now she was wearing a short sleeved and high collared white shirt, over which was a short sleeved dark green furry hooded shirt. Her undershirt matched her white pants, which were tucked into her black flat footed boots. Her long white hair was let down, the last six inches of the pale waterfall laying, curling a bit, against the surface of the warm sand.

Sighing softly again she brought her knees to her chest before wrapping her skinny pale arms around her legs, resting her sharp face on the caps of her knees. Re was swimming around in the ocean, enjoying himself with only the order to not provoke trouble.

She had seen the female from a mile away, always alert to her surroundings even when in a safe place like her own island was. She had known who she was, of course, especially due to that meeting not-so-long-ago in her grandfather's office. Himitsu from the nearby city had come for a visit, eh? Amaranth wasn't worried, at least not yet. The female seemed, at least for the moment, to be doing nothing more than enjoying or not enjoying the massive amounts of sand and sunlight that the beach offered; nothing wrong with that.

Eyelids which had recently begun to droop closed fluttered back open and she tilted her head, so that she could look upon the female with her silvery gaze compared to that that her mental vision offered - it seemed more polite after all. "Hello again Miss Himitsu. Something I can do for you today?", voice soft as she spoke, and yet loud enough so that it would carry over the distance and the almost constantly blowing winds. Polite and yet more adult sounding words than perhaps what should have come from a child: but that was one of those random odd perks of having not been born human - faster, stronger... and smarter, at least than a normal child would be.

She turned her silvery gaze back to the ocean and the sky, giving the female the chance to say whatever it was she was going to. She found herself unworried whether the woman had shown up for peace or for war... she was just too bored to find either troublesome at the moment: though she did hope for peace. Amaranth hardly felt the blood-lust that Squall had felt, and had no reason to want to see the female dead - so long as she kept her nose clean, of course.

Ability Used:

"Hello again Miss Himitsu. Something I can do for you today?"

"Hello Miss Amaranth. Forgive me for intruding on you while you relaxed. Had I known I would have with held." She paused for a second, blinking once. It was rather bright outside, the contrast between the shadows and pale sand was irritating her eyes, but in less than a second that issue was corrected. The brightness was lowered, everything stood out better now, not so bleached out with the glaring sun's light... Himitsu could even see the bright Halo above the girl's head now that the glare was gone. She knew her voice would carry over the distance to Amaranth's ears, she was enhancing her voice to make sure it was so.

Sighing softly she continued, "If you're not to busy, I'd like to go over a few diplomatic things with you... My impending demise looms closely on the dark horizon of my life... I just want to make certain that when I do expire... That our cities remain on the peaceful terms that they currently enjoy. It's the least I can do to try to make up for the poor excuse of a life I have lived. The least I can do for the city that I so dearly love..." Her soft voice trailed off. She was distraught about her doom, loath to part with the city that she considered her only child. She didn't mean it, but she was letting some of her distress show in her eyes, how she was sitting, how her energy felt. How could anyone just expect her to be stone faced and cold hearted about her demise? She had been fighting her disease for nigh on six years... It was taking it's toll on her. She was determined. She was not intent on submitting to her disease; but every day was beginning to become a struggle. Most of her energy was dedicated to getting enough oxygen and suppressing her coughing fits.

To be honest she looked upon herself with scorn. She was pitifully weak. A shell of her former self. She was a wilting rose, once beautiful, powerful, now reduced to an ugly pity inducing sack of bones. But you could see the determination in her eyes, as clouded as it was from her resignation to her end, it still showed.

Ablities Used:

Amaranth's silvery gaze took in Himitsu once more as she shifted her attention back to the older female. She knew the woman was dying, and figured she probably didn't want to go the way she was. Or at least, that's what Amaranth could assume. She might have poked around a bit in the female's head, but seeing as she had come here to talk diplomacy, she decided against it: she wasn't going to give a reason for them to be on bad terms. Nor give a reason for war.

She sat herself up, and looked back towards the ocean. "Before... we embark on that discussion I have a question for you. Please do not think of me as judgmental but... I know that you're sick, dying even. I'm sure you know this as well... what would you do if I said I was willing to not only eliminate your sickness, disease even but to heal your of what damage it has already done, and train you to be far stronger, faster, better... than you could even imagine yourself to be. If I was willing to give you the ability to remain seated in power of your city for hundreds of years, with the power to protect it against any and all danger... would you accept such a thing, Miss Himitsu?"

It was a one time offer: a hand extended that if it was slapped away would never extend again. A chance for Himitsu to be completely healed of her sickness and the damage that it had already done to her body. A chance to train, to become the sort of leader that her city needed... It was, of course, up to her... Amaranth just hoped that she chose her response wisely.

"Before... we embark on that discussion I have a question for you. Please do not think of me as judgmental but... I know that you're sick, dying even. I'm sure you know this as well... what would you do if I said I was willing to not only eliminate your sickness, disease even but to heal your of what damage it has already done," Himitsu's breath caught in her throat... Could... Could Amaranth do this? Was... Was it possible? "and train you to be far stronger, faster, better... than you could even imagine yourself to be. If I was willing to give you the ability to remain seated in power of your city for hundreds of years, with the power to protect it against any and all danger... would you accept such a thing, Miss Himitsu?"

Her heart skipped several beats... No... Healing her sickness... She hadn't dreamed it to be possible... After every single thing she had gone through to try to banish the disease from her body... Impossible... Amaranth... She must have been lying to her. Especially after she asked Himitsu about getting trained... No. It was wrong to work up her hopes like this... In such a way... But...

But she felt nor knew a reason for why the boss would be lying to her... What were the risks? If she said no to Amaranth and the girl wasn't lying? She might offend the fellow boss; start bad blood and lose out on the chance to be purified...

If she did say yes and Amaranth was lying? Well then she wouldn't lose anything. She'd leave the island in the same sickly condition that she had arrived in, her life would continue like this conversation had never happened...

She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head, white ribbons of hair being blown back away from the water's edge by the sea breeze. "You... You could do such a thing? You would offer me such a thing; to heal and train me? I... I see no reason why I would decline the offer should it arise... You've given me no reason to believe that you would lie to me about your abilities or your word... " Her voice showed a flicker of tentative hope

Despite her pride and paranoia she was willing to take the gamble of answering yes to the girl's question. Her pride had stopped mattering months ago. She was a broken human, weak. She was willing to do anything to help her city at this point. Willing to die to end threats if needed.

Amaranth stood up, and lifted up her balled up over shirt. She took a moment to unball the thing, shaking a bit of the sand out of it and to the ground below before slipping it over her head. It hung from her shoulders , being the reason she wore a tank top underneath of it, but it was comfortable and light nonetheless. She brushed back her red hair and then walked slowly and peacefully over to Himitsu.

"I can do it. I can remove the sickness from your body and heal the damage it's caused." She hadn't yet told the woman that she would have to prove herself to be trained, but that could wait a little bit longer. Either way she would heal the woman: just the training depended on if she proved she was willing to go through the agony and hardship that would be needed to pull it off.

She stopped about a foot or so from the female, smoke suddenly rushing out of her body. It would enter into Himitsu's, causing no sort of pain or harm, if anything it would cause a pleasant sensation. The smoke searching and destroying the disease that ravaged the woman's body. It was quick process, done in a matter of a moment or so. While the smoke worked so did Amaranth's healing ability, though she didn't have to lay a hand on her to accomplish it. As the disease was purged from her body the damage that it had left behind was healed: organs, tissue, blood, anything at all that had been damaged or weakened was entirely restored to new and then some.

When she was finished she took a step or two back, giving the female a moment to adjust to the new feeling that probably enveloped her body. She was sure it would be quite a shock to go from being sick for god knew how long the female had been, to suddenly healthy and strong again.

After a moment of waiting Amaranth's silvery gaze looked towards the very tall mountain that was her island. "I want you to prove to me you're willing to go through the training. I was going to heal you regardless.. but the training is up to you. Your task is going to be to carry me, on your back, up to the top of this mountain. Every day we're going to do it, and each day it'll become a little harder and a little harder because I'm going to put gravity against you. But.. in the end, you'll thank me for it, if you accomplish it." That of course was only to be part of the training, but a big part nonetheless.

Abilities Used:

There was a cough from the smoke. When Amaranth and Himitsu looked, they would see the Loyal Butler, the man that answered to and helped out Alec Kane. Amaranth would know exactly who he was immediately; Himitsu would probably remember him escorting her up the elevator and to Alec's office on her trip to Edge City.

"Excuse me, lady Amaranth," said the Butler with the utmost of manners. "I have been tasked with finding you and Ms. Ishikawa here to inform you of current events." The Butler cleared his throat. "As you are aware, a recent associate of Mr. Kane, who goes by the name of Squall Leonheart, departed from Edge City despite Mr. Kane's urging of the man to stand down. Mr. Leonheart departed for Shinkai Shigai anyway, home of Ms. Ishikawa here, and began a trail of destruction and death. It is my duty to inform the two of you that someone - or something - rose from the destruction of Shinkai Shigai and began to fight Mr. Leonheart. Mr. Kane believes it to be that of a vengeful spirit created from dramatic violence; a spirit that will not rest until those responsible for it's death are themselves killed."

The Butler adjusted his tie and cleared his throat again. "I regret to inform you that Mr. Leonheart did not survive the exchange with the spirit, and was quickly and violently killed. The spirit did not disperse upon Mr. Leonheart's violent death, and it is believed, should the speculation about the spirit be true, that someone else has to die before the spirit can ascend into the afterlife. Mr. Kane believes that this person is Demitria, but there is also the possibility that this other person can also be none other than Ms. Ishikawa here. Since the island of Sugure No Shima is practically in the backyard of Shinkai Shigai, Mr. Kane felt that the two of you should be informed as soon as possible, for there is always the chance that the spirit could come here next. Please, do look after yourselves and stay on your guard."

With his orders followed and his mission accomplished, the Loyal Butler departed the scene.

"I can do it. I can remove the sickness from your body and heal the damage it's caused." Said the girl as she stepped closer to Himitsu's sitting form, walking all of nineteen feet out of the twenty that had separated them.

Then smoke.

Wait...

WhatthehellwascomingfromthissgirlitwasgettingallinsideofHimitsuandshedidn'tlikeit


She couldn't help but jumping back a bit in shock at the smoke, whimpering softly as it got inside of her... Surprisingly it didn't hurt... But that didn't stop the nervous reaction she was having. It was something between trembling and pained laughing that sounded almost like sobbing... What if this was just a way to kill her? Gain her trust for just a split second with underhanded trickery so that she could step in and wham! Kill her while she was down!

But... That didn't happen... No... The entire process had lasted but a brief moment... but now she felt so different... It was like a slap to the face. Her took in the sight of her hand... It had been bony, skeletal but a mere moment ago... Now it looked healthy... Her arms looked healthy... Her skin no longer the strange sickly yellowed white it had been. Breathing... It no longer hurt, her throat didn't taste of blood nor sting with the burning pain of a thousand needles... The sudden rush of energy she felt in her muscles was shocking. It was making her jittery, feeling that much idle energy coursing through her veins again...

She was used to struggling to simply get the needed amount of oxygen into her lungs... Her respiratory system had been so fucked up, so mangled and damaged for such a long time... Now all this air was suddenly being pulled into her oxygen hungry body... She heard a soft 'whooooom' sound accompanied with a feeling of light headedness. The white haired female blinked a few times before raising her left hand to cup the side of her face.

"I can breathe! Oh ah... Light headed..." She mumbled to herself.

This... She just couldn't... She had been dying but a minute ago... Compared to five minutes ago she felt like she was in a state of euphoric elation. She could cry... Matter of fact she was sure she was crying. She wasn't going to die! She wasn't going to die! Without that fear, that morbid life sucking worry leeching off of her mind, she felt good enough to fly.

"I want you to prove to me you're willing to go through the training. I was going to heal you regardless.. but the training is up to you. Your task is going to be to carry me, on your back, up to the top of this mountain. Every day we're going to do it, and each day it'll become a little harder and a little harder because I'm going to put gravity against you. But.. in the end, you'll thank me for it, if you accomplish it."

She looked up at the girl in awe. No one that she had met previously could heal her of her sickness... Yet this girl had, and with no reason to show such kindness... Himitsu moved so that she was sitting on her knees in front of Amaranth and bowed her head. "I am willing to do anything to make myself stronger. I will not give up, I will not disappoint you." Himitsu was naturally a submissive person, generally accepting fate and how things turned out. She was submissive to the people she respected as well. She was indebted to Amaranth. She owed Amaranth her life, for without the healing she would have died. Amaranth had saved her life out of sheer generosity.

And then she heard a cough and felt someone else's energy. Looking up she saw the butler man from Alec Kane's tower.

"Mr. Leonheart departed for Shinkai Shigai anyway, home of Ms. Ishikawa here, and began a trail of destruction and death."

What? What?! WHAT HAD THAT VILE IGNORANT DESTRUCTIVE MAN DONE TO HER PEOPLE? HOW DARE HE DO SUCH A THING?! HOW-

"It is my duty to inform the two of you that someone - or something - rose from the destruction of Shinkai Shigai and began to fight Mr. Leonheart. Mr. Kane believes it to be that of a vengeful spirit created from dramatic violence; a spirit that will not rest until those responsible for it's death are themselves killed." He cleared his throat and adjusted his neck tie before continuing in his speech. "I regret to inform you that Mr. Leonheart did not survive the exchange with the spirit, and was quickly and violently killed."

A smile curled at Himitsu's lips. Yes. That man had gotten what he deserved. Death. Death for killing her innocent. She was just disappointed that she had not been there to fight Squall herself, or to see his fall.

"The spirit did not disperse upon Mr. Leonheart's violent death, and it is believed, should the speculation about the spirit be true, that someone else has to die before the spirit can ascend into the afterlife. Mr. Kane believes that this person is Demitria, but there is also the possibility that this other person can also be none other than Ms. Ishikawa here. Since the island of Sugure No Shima is practically in the backyard of Shinkai Shigai, Mr. Kane felt that the two of you should be informed as soon as possible, for there is always the chance that the spirit could come here next. Please, do look after yourselves and stay on your guard."

And then he left...

God fucking damn it all... Whoops... She was in the presence of an angel... That might not have been the best thought... Joy. One person that was after her was killed only to have someone else come after her... Couldn't people just learn and be peaceful for once in the entirety of human kind? She wasn't after anyone. She didn't feel the want to just fight without reason. Was the spirit after her now? Squall had attacked before she could depart. She was not some god. She was not omnipresent. She was only a human. A smart human, but a human none the less. Out of all the bosses, she was honestly the weakest, but she was about to fix that with training from Amaranth.

"...Joy..."

Amaranth's attention had shifted to her grandfather's butler upon his arrival, a soft smile slipping across her face. There was something about the man that she just instantly liked, even though she had never been able, with all of the smarts in her head, been able to figure it out. But, that was life sometimes. She gave a nod to the butler's words of information and warning. "Thank you.", she said softly before he disappeared.

She then turned her attention in front of her to Himitsu. "It would seem as if you now have more than one reason to accomplish this training as fast as possible, and to the best of your ability."

Her silvery gaze flickered in the direction of Himitsu's city and a determined expression took over her face. "But, I'll tell you this... while you're on my island undergoing the training I'm going to put you through, you will be under my protection. So... if a vengeful spirit wants to come have a go, it'll have to go through me first. So, no need to worry about it, or anyone else for that matter, attacking you while you're here."

She then looked back to Himitsu. "So, shall we get started then? No time like the present so long as your used to the way your body works again."

"If anyone threatens my city I will destroy them."

After a second she nodded, standing. Wow... She stood a little faster than she meant... Her body was returning to it's strength and speed from seven years ago, the disease had slowed her body down, ate away at her muscles and physical strength... She was not used to being able to move so easily... "Nothing like seven years of slowly dying that messes with how the body functions... Just... Give me twenty minutes to get back into the swing so I don't hurt myself trying to run or reach for something..."

FINE AND GROSS MOTOR SKILLS! RETURN TO ME! The female bent down, stretching her legs and back out, wiggling her fingers, before she straightened herself out and jumped, reaching her hands up to the sky. Oh... She had missed this. The sweet feel of energy rushing through her muscles, breathing without pain... When she returned home she could flush all of the pills down the toilet with a cackle. Her body was fixed... She wasn't broken any more.

After a few minutes of stretching her body and re-getting used to her health she was ready, bouncy even. "Alright... Training... Were do I do this?"

Amaranth thought hard on what trail she wished for Himitsu to take, going over in her mind for a moment as the female got used to the way her body moved now that it was healthy again the many paths that lead to the top. She knew the harsher, more extreme ones, would have to be saved for later. Perhaps the worst would be Himitsu's final test: but that was a ways off.

Amaranth pointed towards the green marker at the top of the beach, the marker which indicated a path was present. It was the easiest path to travel up the mountain on, and would give her the easiest chance for her first time around; though it would still be somewhat of a task to have to accomplish.

"This path here, with the green marker. It's one of the tourist trails, but seeing as they're unable to make it to the island yet due to that off short storm, it'll be empty of any foot traffic. Plus, it's one of the less harsh ways up the mountain... at least for your first time. Ready?"

.oO(If you want you can go ahead and put in your next post Amaranth climbing onto your back and you setting off on the trail and we can just go from there.~)

"This path here, with the green marker. It's one of the tourist trails, but seeing as they're unable to make it to the island yet due to that off short storm, it'll be empty of any foot traffic. Plus, it's one of the less harsh ways up the mountain... at least for your first time. Ready?"

Oh yes. She was ready. Training... It had been so long since she had done anything actively aggressive like training. Four years. Four years her sickness had kept her from doing much more than walking, reading and barely living. But where her body had begun to stagger, her mind grew sharper. The constant mind puzzles that Re'yoak presented her with when she was to tired to move had kept her from thinking herself into insanity, they had kept her mind going, kept her logic sharp. Now her body matched her mind more evenly.

This would be fun.

She bent down some and let Amaranth climb onto her back before she took off. Amaranth was only about two inches shorter than she, and weighed nearly as much from what she felt. Fucking sand. FUCK YOU SAND. She hated the sand with a passion. Running in it with her sudden weight gain and a one hundred and twenty pound child on her back did not help her light footedness. Each step had her sinking into the the sand some, the toes of her flat footed boots dipping into the first few inches of the sand.

Slowly the ground became harder, less sandy and more stably solid. She was at the green marker now, her pace slowed. Each hip dropped, rolling with a shocking amount of fluid feline grace as she stepped on the harder ground. "Tell me when to go." She said, her voice burning with intense yearning, desire to get a move on. She was on an energy high. Anyone would be if they went from barely breathing to perfectly healthy in a mere moment.

"Go!", she said enthusiastically, while ensuring she didn't exactly shout in Himitsu's ear since the woman was carrying her. "Don't be alarmed, i'm making myself smaller.", with that said she shifted her shape, changing herself to the average height and weight of the child she actually was. She didn't want this overly hard for her first trip up, that would come later on.

The path they would take wasn't a harsh one. There would be no steep cliffs, dangerous areas. Or any sort of downed trees or anything for them to get over. It was just a constant, sometimes winding, slope of a hill that they would have to go up, with very little to no danger to have to worry about. This was, after all, the beginning of the training.

Self Disguise:

And she was off. She moved with the grace that only she showed, somewhere between a cat's grace and someone born and raised in a noble household. As Amaranth got smaller Himitsu adjusted how Amaranth sat.

Well....

So far this was easy... Entirely too easy. The trail had nothing challenging on it, it wasn't even that steep... When she had first started her training, a long time ago when she had only been fourteen, the first exercise had been hell exponential. She still cringed when she thought of her first three years of training. Pain. Painfully painful pain was painfully painful. She had had to walk across an old patch of floor boards, if they creaked? The bottom of her foot was lashed. For the longest time her mentor had called her bloody foot because of her constant mistakes with the floor boards. After that she had to learn how to walk across a bed of needles without bleeding. Weeks upon weeks of learning how not to fall on the needle bed. Only sheer luck had kept her from getting stabbed in the eye or pierced in a vital organ while trying to walk on the needles.

After that she had to learn how to balance on her hands while on the needle bed. Falling during that exercise meant death, but somehow she had made it through. Her mentor had never shown her any sort of affection, no love. When she got injured? He never helped her up, never healed her wounds. And when she dared to ask why he told her that that was simply how the world worked. When she made mistakes he rubbed her past failures in her face. Always told her that she wasn't good enough, that she would never be good enough.

He constantly called her a failure, and when she showed her emotions she was beaten for it. That was one of the main reasons she was so stoic. He had beaten into her that emotions only brought about pain and shame. To show emotion was to compromise one's self. Emotion was a vulnerability.

Re'yoak had tried to soothe her distress during her training. Curling his large form up and letting her sleep next to him when she was upset. She always spilt her soul to her contract. In a way, he was her only friend. She knew that he wasn't going to hurt her or kill her while she was down. Even if she released him from the contract this very second. She would still trust him enough to believe that he wouldn't hurt her. Whether her feelings were mutual or not she didn't know, nor did she dare want to find out. She was afraid of the truth. She had been through so much heart break in her life, so much grief. She was not eager to throw herself in the way of more sad emotions.

But the past was the past. She couldn't change anything about it. Why should she worry about it? That was right; she shouldn't worry. Instead she just let her mind sink into carrying Amaranth up the mountain trail.

Amaranth was quiet at first, as Himitsu carried her up the mountain. She had plenty of questions for the female that were rattling off in her brain, but for now she kept her focus on what Himitsu was doing. The female, from what she had guessed especially with the way she had reacted at first after being healed, had been sickly for a long time. So, she didn't want to risk being the one to cause her to trip or fall while she might still be getting used to her body.

But, after a while of the silence, and more than half of the mountain completed she finally opened her mouth. "We'll take a break when we get to the top... I rather enjoy the view of things from up there. I'll probably have you do this each day, at least until your speed and strength are increased, but we'll switch up to the harder trails too, which will test more of your reflexes and such...."

"We'll take a break when we get to the top... I rather enjoy the view of things from up there. I'll probably have you do this each day, at least until your speed and strength are increased, but we'll switch up to the harder trails too, which will test more of your reflexes and such...."

She heard the girl speak. Listening and running at the same time wasn't all that hard for her. Talking while running wasn't that hard either. "That sounds good." Came her short reply. You couldn't expect a speech from her while she was on her runner's high, plus she need not say much in response any way.

After a few short minutes she was at the top of the trail. She came to a stop and let Amaranth off of her back. The view was beautiful... the ocean was a bright blue, the pale sand it's light butter colour. If your vision was sharp enough you could see Re's long shape in the water. He almost blended in with the white sea sand, what stood out was his jet black mane and onyx horns. He was graceful in his own way as he enjoyed the warm water. She knew how he loved to swim, and over all of the years she had known him she had glimpsed only a few reasons why he did anything. Something about the water made him reminisce in a happy way, she had never bothered asking why. Maybe it reminded him of someone he loved, like how wielding a sword reminded her of Satoshi.

"So Miss Amaranth..." Her voice trailed off, but not in the way that seemed like she was trying to get something out. This was just her way of prompting a conversation with someone that she didn't know much about.

|...."So... Himitsu."

The vessel of revenge was there. At the top of this path. Waiting. Waiting for the arrival of the child, and the Boss.

Fukushu wasn't as rageful or as angry as he had been with Squall, but the pink glow that let one have a glimpse of the extreme emotions bubbling just below the surfece, was ever present. Fukushu hovered his body in mid air; his white hair with black streaks moving about in a manner that made him resemble a witch.

He didn't seem to be preparing to take any action, and the look upon his face was more of depression than of anger, or rage. Depression that seemed to grow upon taking in the sight of his Boss, who looked to be... enjoying herself on a beautiful vacation resort island, while her people were being slaughtered and killed?

"...I want to hear what you have to say for yourself," he said, his body slowly dropping down to land on both feet. "...Hear your explanation as to why you, the Boss, the leader... ran out on your subjects... where were you, Himitsu? When that... WEAK... PATHETIC...HUMAN... tore through your beloved Shinkai Shigai like a plague, stealing the lives of those who were loyal to you, those whom whispered your name with their dying breaths, wondering why their leader was not there to save them..."

He was not aware of the tears spilling down each of his cheeks like waterfalls, to drip and stain his clothing, and the ground below. The pink glow in his eyes, surrounding his body; it was brighter than ever. "When my brothers died... when my sisters died," Fukushu continued. "When my parents died... when I died. Where were you, Himitsu?...."...|

After Amaranth was put back down she stepped over to the cliff like edge and stared out at the beauty that made up the island. From up here she could see all sorts of things, the small little city that the island had, the hotels and such for the tourists, she could even see her underground lap's enterance, though it would be hidden for anyone who didn't quite know what to look for. She could also see a large creature swimming in the ocean, which she was perfectly fine with.

And then... well, and then they weren't alone, were they. Her entire form turned, and she found herself looking at... a spirit? Joy. She had promised Himitsu she would protect her if anything threatened her and now here was some guy who was rather angry, from what his words said, over being killed: not that she blamed him.

Seeing as he hadn't verbally threatened Himitsu, or attempted to attack the woman, Amaranth simply remained off to the side, watching and waiting. Her halo's glow picked up a bit more, but other than that she remained completely still and otherwise acted as if she wasn't there. The man did, after all, have some good questions that needed answered.

"So... Himitsu."

She lifted her gaze only to see a young man levitating in front of her. He was dressed in a fighting Gi... Wait... He looked familiar in the face... His family... An honourable warrior family of her city. A loyal family... But what was he-

Then she felt how his aura moved... How he wasn't quiet solid, the pink energy radiated from his being...

"...I want to hear what you have to say for yourself," He spoke as his body lowered itself to the ground.

"...Hear your explanation as to why you, the Boss, the leader... ran out on your subjects... where were you, Himitsu? When that... WEAK... PATHETIC...HUMAN... tore through your beloved Shinkai Shigai like a plague, stealing the lives of those who were loyal to you, those whom whispered your name with their dying breaths, wondering why their leader was not there to save them..." Tears had started to spill over his tanned skin. "When my brothers died... when my sisters died," The teen continued, "When my parents died... when I died. Where were you, Himitsu?...."

His emotions... They were like a slap to the face for her. She felt horrible about her city... How that lowly Squall had threatened her then taken advantage of her city's weakened state with her not there. Why couldn't the idiot human have challenged her to her face? Why had he insisted on reaping the lives of the innocent? She still could not understand. But this man in front of her needed and explanation.

Her lips parted slightly, the corners of her mouth frowning softly. Great sadness shone in her eyes as she looked upon him. Her city... Her citizens... They were her children. She was supposed to be there to protect them from the threats of the world. But she had failed. She had failed them so miserably that it physically hurt her. Now one of the survivors of the aftermath... He had been wronged by her. She had failed her child. Her white eyebrows pinched together, inside corners raising up to mirror her feeling of failure on the inside.

Reaching a hand out she took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. Her bottom lip trembled as a single crystal tear fell from it's nest. "... Oh my dear sweet child... I have failed you greatly in my attempts to ensure your safety. There is no greater sin than that of a guardian's failure. My sweetest child... I did not run out on you nor your brothers and sisters. The first attack was so fleeting, unexpected. I decided that I needed to talk to Alec Kane, the boss of Edge City. It was the only reason I left so fast. I just needed to make certain that war had not been declared..." She paused for a second, sucking in a shaky breath.

"Alec Kane had not ordered an attack, and Squall Leonheart had acted of his own accord. The attacker threatened me, told me that he was after my head... But instead of challenging me upfront, he attacked my city when I was not there to defend it. Continuing to kill innocents without reason... I didn't understand his motives... I don't even know why he wanted to kill me. I only found out about the attack but a few moments ago. I came to Sagure to speak to Amaranth, to ensure that our cities were on good terms. Amaranth healed me from the kindness of her heart, and offered to train me so that I may defend my beloved city, my beloved citizens better. My child... I am sorry. I know that apologising will not bring back your loved ones... Nor will it erase the crooked memories of terror and fear that the attacks have inspired." The entire time she spoke her soft voice was laden with horrid pressing grief. She was not faking these emotions. No. These were true, straight from her heart.

Her heart hurt, her chest was tight as was her throat. If anyone around her could feel emotions, her emotions would feel like a suffocating and heavy water of regret and sadness. She was standing so close to the male, only but a foot from him, vision blurred slightly with her tears. She was wide open, her weapons left with her bag further down the beach. Right now she was vulnerable, trusting her late citizen to do what he saw fit for her disappointing performance, all that she would be able to retaliate with was the limited amount of magic that her body would allow at the current point in time. Her magical abilities were still adjusting to her sudden healing. She was a free form magic user, able to bend and control most of the physical world at her will, but her spirit, her aura, was still adjusting to her sudden rebound.

"Forgive me..." She barely whispered. If one wasn't paying close attention the words would be mistaken for just the sound of the winds.

|...Perhaps when he was on his way here, he'd had different intentions, but now, he wasn't so certain anymore. Would choking the life from his Boss with his bare hands suffice? No...this would continue the cycle of hatred and revenge. This would cause someone, perhaps the little girl, whom he could feel was similar to himself, to attack. The little girl, she had the same scent of the Angel who appeared in Shinkai, and took the necklace from Squall's corpse. If they were related...harming her would cause him to retaliate. This wasn't what he wanted anymore.

Himitsu was even brave enough to approach the young man that once was, when she had to know that her life could be violently snatched from it's vessel and savored like a delicacy before being absorbed...but Fukushu took no action. The emotions within him, and emanating from her, they caused his form to distort, to fade between the corporeal and the incorporeal.

He listened to her speak...Squall worked for Alec Kane, who had to be the Angel that appeared in Shinkai after Squall had been dealt with. From his sudden appearance and attack, it appeared that Edge City had declared war upon Shinkai Shigai, and she'd gone to investigate, to diplomat. It was revealed that the human Squall was acting on his own, and not under orders from Alec Kane. It was personal...The fury within began to build once more, making his form completely solid again, yet, Squall had died...painfully, by his own hands, so this fury died out...once again rendering him incorporeal.

Himitsu had then come here, the closest inhabitable land to Shinkai Shigai to strengthen ties, to continue the peace. This child...in some way related to Alec Kane, healed the sickness that ravaged the Boss' body, and offered to help her be able to defend Shinkai when next evil loomed over the beloved city. This was what made him slowly nod his head, and the frown to disappear from his face.

...Fukushu closed the rest of the distance between he and Himitsu, to put a hand on both of her cheeks, as if to kiss her, but press his forehead to hers. He caused her no harm whatsoever, and she would feel no pain, besides that of the regret and the sorrow that she felt at seeing what he'd become because of Squall. Fukushu passed something from himself to his Boss, so that the next time an enemy appeared to wage wanton destruction through the streets for no reason other than personal satisfaction, she would be ready...

Name:

"...I forgive you..." was the whisper that came from his lips. Fukushu released his Boss, and backed away. Looking toward the child with the halo next, he'd say,"...You...you are a relative of that Angel...Tall, with many weapons...Much experienced in the horrors of war and the loss of family...He was correct in his assumption of me being a spirit of vengeance, bound to this world until this vengeance is carried out...I remain because there is one other who must suffer before having their life torn from it's shell...It is not my Boss Himitsu that is required to die, but a Vampire...A female, for, she is responsible for bringing that...Squall," this word was growled in an otherworldly tone, smilar to when he'd called him a weak pathetic human. "Bringing him to Shinkai Shigai...but this is no longer my desire, because of what that Angel said, and only because of what that Angel said...Be sure this is known, because a war where many could die can easily happen..."

The incorporeal form of Fukushi could then be seen drifting away, back toward the direction of the white city called Shinkai Shigai... "When you return home... you will find that Shinkai Shigai has been restored to the way it was before the appearance of Squall, and the dead returned to life..."|

[Exit thread]

"Oh crap..."

Words that shot through her mind yet weren't spoken out loud as she watched the vengeful spirit reach for Himitsu. She had promised to protect the woman, and here she was about to be... Nothing? Amaranth had been more than prepared to snatch the female away, even if it was going to start a fight. But, there was no harm that she could see or feel being done to the female.

So, Amaranth kept her distance, not wanting to provoke the spirit and end up causing something to happen: she didn't want the death of anyone hanging over her own head. But, that didn't seem to be what was going to happen here, in fact, if her senses were correct, this spirit had just given Himitsu a new ability.

Arms folded across her chest as she merely watched. An eyebrow rose as the spirit turned towards her and began to speak to her. She nodded at his question about her being related to the Angel. A frown appeared half way through his words: she didn't need to guess to know that he spoke of Demi, especially when he explained that the reasoning behind it was because she was responsible for bringing Squall to the city in the first place. However, he also said that he no longer wished for the Vampire's death, which was good news. Perhaps that meant that Demi and her family could return home sooner rather than later. So, she offered another nod and then watched the spirit speak to Himitsu again before leaving.

She turned her silvery gaze to the female, concern showing in her gaze. "Are you alright?" The question spoke of more than just being physically okay, she didn't want to drag the female through more training if her emotions weren't where they needed to be - it would be unproductive in her eyes, to say the least.

She saw his frown disappear as she spoke to him, explaining what had happened. He was nodding slowly. The rage she had felt but a moment ago gone. Then the male closed the distance between them, placing his hands on her cheeks. Himitsu didn't flinch or stiffen at his touch. If he was going to kill her then he was going to kill her. It would be a just punishment for failing him. It was reasonable. The teen touched foreheads with her, and instead of the painful kiss of death, Himitsu felt something within her conscious fall into place. A new door unlocked within her mind. He had granted her a new ability, a new power...

"...I forgive you..."

His whisper reached her sharp ears. That was all she needed to hear from him. His forgiveness of her mistake was the greatest gift he could have ever presented her. Then he let go of her and stepped back, speaking to Amaranth. He said something about a female Vampyre that had brought Squall to the city... Demitria. The rainbow vandalist. That was the only person that came to her mind, the only female Vampyre that had entered the city with Squall the first time... At least, the only one Himitsu knew of.

So he wanted to kill Demitria? Wait... No, he had just said that he no longer desired to. That was good news in her mind. Attacking the Vampyre when she had not openly engaged in aggressive lethal action against him or Shinkai would most likely start a war. War was the last thing that she wanted for her city.

"When you return home... you will find that Shinkai Shigai has been restored to the way it was before the appearance of Squall, and the dead returned to life..." It was the last thing the spirit said as he drifted away, back towards her beautiful white city. How? Had he brought them back? Had he restored her city? The restoration didn't surprise her very much, returning a building to it's prior condition took but a simple spell, a simple burst of magical energy... But bringing the death back? She had never dared to attempt it... She had always been warned of what it's results could be... In theory it was all possible... But in practice it always ended badly... At least it did with Human spell casters...

And he was gone...

"Are you alright?" Amaranth's voice snapped her back into reality. Taking a deep breath she exhaled slowly through her mouth, her face returning back to it's normal stoic look as she wiped the tears away.

"I'm fine. This encounter has only strengthened my desire to become stronger. To become stronger to prevent this from ever happening again." She wasn't lying one bit. The flame of passion was bright in her eyes. She would become stronger to protect her children. To protect her city.

A grin spread across Amaranth's face. "Good to hear. Now then. Our way down the mountain isn't going to take quite as long." She nodded over to the reinforced wooden platform that hung over the edge of the cliff. The whole thing was completely set up for a zip line of sorts. "That is going to be our way down... have you ever done a zip line before?"

She moved over to the wooden locked cabinet, fiddling with it for a moment before the lock unlatched and she opened it to reveal all sorts of harnesses and the rest of the gear needed. Zip lines were a lovely way to say 'screw you, fear' so she felt it was appropriate for the training. Himitsu had to be ready to put her fear aside to accomplish any and all tasks put in front of her... so this would only help further prove if she was going to be willing or unwilling to do what was needed for the survival of her city.

She held up a harness for Himitsu, prepared to help her get into the thing if she didn't know how. "You're going to zip line down.. I am going to fly after you to ensure nothing happens."

"Good to hear. Now then. Our way down the mountain isn't going to take quite as long."

Oh, did Amaranth just want her to spirit back down the trail or-

She caught sight of what Amaranth was nodding towards. A reinforced wooden platform that looked to be the starting point for zip lining.

"That is going to be our way down... have you ever done a zip line before?"

"... No... I have never zipped down a line before. My first mentor made me cliff dive though..." She said quietly as she watched Amaranth fiddle about with the lock on a wooden cabinet thing. Once the cabinet was opened Himitsu took in the sight of what she assumed were harnesses and the various gear needed.

"You're going to zip line down.. I am going to fly after you to ensure nothing happens."

"Wait... How exactly is this helping me train?" She couldn't help but ask as Amaranth helped her into the harness and got her hooked up to the line. She wasn't exactly an adrenaline junkie... She didn't put herself in situations were she could be unnecessarily harmed. She wanted to live. Well... She trusted Amaranth enough to catch her if anything happened...

She was standing on the edge now, taking in how high yet not high the edge was. Then suddenly green was flashing under her feet, the ground was no longer supporting her... The wind bit at her face, howling in her ears. Wind in her face, making her eyes water as her heart rate increased. She wasn't afraid of falling, no, that wasn't why her heart rate was up... It was simply a nervous reaction to feeling her body move through the air without her constant consent. The mind was a tricky thing indeed, casting unneeded worries on the body without one's conscious consent of the reactions.