The final part of Bruises

(Sorry about the delay... The is a drastically different Alternant Ending to this story, so I might put that up sometime... In the mean time, enjoy this)

Ein stayed on as my personal teacher, and we sparred countless times over the next few years. I soon found out that, in reality, I had mostly managed to beat Ein because he underestimated what I was capable of. However, within a year I was the rival of all but the brightest and best of father’s students. And it was then, after four years with us, that Ein started having the dreams.

I say dreams, but they must have been more like nightmares. His room was down the hall from mine, a good three rooms away, but I could still hear him cry out in the night. At first it was only a few times a month, but soon it had quickened to several times a week. I had overheard him talk to father of them once… there were never very clear, just blood, pain, and fuzzy images of fighting. Dreams weren’t the only thing coming back to Ein. He saw blurred mental images of faces from his past; never distinguishable, like pictures from an out of focus camera. There was no denying that practice in martial skill was awakening old memories connected with fighting, and Ein had taken to throwing himself twice as hard into study. He still took time to be with me though, even outside of our mutual practice time. It was during these talks, games, and movies that I noticed Ein often had inexplicable busies, lumps, small cuts, and slight limps. At seventeen I wasn’t nearly as naive as I had been only a few years ago, and my guesses as to how Ein picked up these minor injuries ran from some sport he wasn’t telling us about to the rash of car theft and bank robberies in the nearby cities. I was always afraid to confront him directly about any of it though. Ein was like a brother to me, and I did not even want to imagine what might happen if I angered him by asking annoying questions; the thought of his leaving was like a nightmare to me.

Then, towards the end of his fifth year at the school, the challenge came.

I remember it so vividly. Ein and I were sparing in the front courtyard. I had thought Ein was the best student at our school, but somehow he was getting even stronger. I was hardly a match for him, winning once every ten bouts on a good day. We were in the middle of a fight when I saw a dark shadowy figured drop over the far wall on the other side of Ein. It distracted me enough for Ein to slip in a give me a vicious punch to my jaw. It snapped my head back and I heard Ein give an exasperated cry.
“Focus!” he growled in Japanese. When fight he had developed a tendency to switch languages at any given moment. I don’t think he was aware of it though.
“If you do not keep your hands up, Katsumi, I will hit you every time!”

This cause my attention to jerk back fully to Ein. Rubbing my sore jaw, I raised an eyebrow.
“Katsumi?”
Ein shook his head as if to clear it, his brown eyes clouding.
“Katsumi… Katsumi…” he murmured on in Japanese, “my… friend? We were close…. She.. she…”
I waited expectantly. Ein was obsessed with finding his past, and even though I felt slightly betrayed by his desire to know of his life before me it obviously gave him some peace, and I loved him too much to deny Ein that pleasure. However, this time frustration was all that met him. After a few moments of consideration, Ein slammed his foot down in a rare display of anger.
“I can’t remember!” he groaned, kicking at the stone. I was about to offer my help when Hans ran out of the school’s main building.
“Ein, come quick,” he called, urgency in his voice.

Apparently the shadowy figure I had seen had not merely been a trick of the light. Father had been writing a letter at his desk when an arrow had whizzed past his ear and embedded into the wall next to his head. This would have been disturbance enough, but the fact that a letter was wrapped around it caused even more stir. Father told me to wait outside his office with the other student while he and the staff read the letter, which of course me I had to sneak around to the side window and watch from there, listening through the slightly open frame. Father unrolled it with a cautious hand, but read it aloud with a clear voice. The words would change my world in ways I couldn’t even imagine at the time.

“Sir,” Father began, a scowl starting to form on his brow, “your school’s reputation is rivaled only by the reputation you possess as a master of the Art of Karate. As such I, Fame Douglass, as the head of the Executive Board of the DOACT would like to extend to you the honor of participating in the second DOACT. The Board would rejoice at the participation of such a noted master, but given that this letter may reach you in ill-health, or suffering from injury, and given that fighting in the DOACT can result in death, the Board is willing to accept the entrance of your best student, whom you may choose. Yours, Fame Douglass.”

Father looked up from the paper at the gathered teachers and grunted.
“What are they thinking… I am nearly fifty, I have a family, I have teaching obligations… I cannot fight in a tournament of this nature!”
“Then why not turn the invitation down and forget about this Fame Douglass?” Kismar asked, shrugging his thin shoulders.
“The DOACT is the most infamous underground tournament in the history of Earth,” Hans replied, shaking his head, “if our school was challenged to enter and refused, word would spread… our reputation would be completely destroyed.”
“Then send one of us,” Kismar stated, crossing his arms over his chest, “the invitation allowed for that, and we have been taught by the best master in the world… I fear nothing…”
“Then you are a fool,” father replied, a hint of bitterness in his voice, “the DOACT is not a civilized tournament… its contestants come from all over the world, using all manner of styles, and it is not fought on some kind of point system… the winner will proceed, and the loser at best will be unable to retake his feet, often dead… still, Hans is right, we cannot afford to refuse the request.”

“I will go…”

It was, of course, Ein who had spoken, and as he stepped forward there was a look in his eyes that plainly spoke about how this was not a debatable issue. Hans began to offer a word of protest, but Ein cut him off.
“I am the best student here, and the most qualified… I have been fighting in underground no-hold-barred for years now, most sponsored by the DOACT organization, so I know what I’m dealing with. I will not bring shame to the school. If anyone here thinks they are better suited, we can fight the first unofficial round of the tournament right here…”
I thought for a moment that Hans would challenge him, and Kismar uncrossed his arms, but my father shook his head.
“There will not be a need for that… I will send who I will, and I am sure my closest students will respect that…”

Father dismissed all the teachers except Ein and walked over to him holding the letter.
“You want to do this?”
“Sir,” Ein began, voice holding an almost dreamy tone, “you have been like a father to me, and Hitomi a sister, but this tournament holds the promise of my past. As I grow and push my limits, my memories return… my dreams, the names I recall, the people I just can’t see… I think it will fall together only when I have pushed to the very limit, no past it even.”
“You think you can do this?”
Ein’s voice took on a tone like iron, and his eyes burned with internal fire.
“I know I can.”
“Let us be sure then!”

With that, father suddenly lashed out with his left fist, catching Ein in the chest. Ein stumbled back slightly, but fell into a fighting stance. Father snapped a kick at him with his right leg, a powerful shot at Ein’s side. Ein was able to block the kick, bouncing forward slightly to close the distance. He jabbed with his right hand, but father parried it, snapping the arm down and trapping it next to his side. Ein reacted quickly, driving his left knee up hard to catch father’s side, driving the breath from him and forcing him to release the leg. Spinning down and low, Ein hammered into father ankle with his heal. There was an audible pop, but father did not slow down. Instead he responded with a powerful blow to Ein’s face. It struck Ein on the left cheekbone, causing him to spin and fall. Pushing up, he did a recovery sweep that tripped my father slightly, allowing Ein to drive in for a vicious left hook combo. Father stumbled slightly, but drove back with a double fisted punch, actually knocking Ein back against the far wall with a crash.

I had never seen father fight like that before, and in a way it was slightly scary. Ein bounced right back off the wall, running at father. When he was about four paces away, he flew into a powerful triple-kick that I had never seen at our school. Father fell to the ground but quickly pushed back up, kicking out as he did so. The kick drove straight into Ein’s sternum, and he fell back gasping. Father was also breathing hard, and held a hand to stop the action.
“You fight well… you will indeed do our school’s name proud.”
I was too stunned to move. Never had I seen father even break a sweat while fighting, but Ein had battled him to a draw.

Ein planned to set out that evening, which I only heard about later from Hans. I remember looking franticly for him in his room, but he had already left it as spotless and empty as if he had never been there. I ran to the front gate of the school, and fond him, dressed in his black pants and jacket, duffle bag slung over one shoulder.
“Ein!” I cried out, voice already starting to crack, “wait!”

He turned to look back at me, running to meet him, and that small, sad, smile pulled at his lips. Letting the bag slip from his shoulder, Ein held his arms open wide. I ran into the hug and squeezed him back. My tears flowed hard. I was losing yet another member of my family.
“Please,” I sobbed, “please don’t go!”
“I have to,” his voice still had its even, soft feel, but I could tell there was sadness in it.
“Then take me with you!” I cried, looking up into his face. Ein smiled again, and pulled me closer. I buried my face into his strong chest, and let the sobs take me again.
“Hitomi,” he finally murmured into the top of my head, “no matter what I remember on this journey, or who I find, I will not forget you, our father, or this school… we will see each other again, I swear it…”

Then he left.

I found a note he had left on my pillow when I went to bed. It said more of what he had said at the gate, and held the promise of his return. I have treasured it ever since.

*******

Four months later we received word that a man named Hayate, a ninja of the Mugen Tenshin style, had won the tournament. At first we all wondered what this might mean, until the fuller report arrived from the DOACT with a further addendum that said Hayate wanted to give credit to our school and my father as his teachers. It was not hard to put the pieces together. Ein had in fact won the tournament as well, and regained his memory. It wasn’t long after hearing this that I received a letter from “Hayate.”

In the letter Ein revealed more of what had happened. He was the leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan, and had been kidnapped by a “Project Epsilon.” He wrote that this had made his brand make a little more sense, and was sorry that it did really stand for “Ein.” I had to chuckle at that, just imagining the smile Ein would have had while writing the joke. He said that he had not forgotten his promise, and would try to see me soon, but that his clan had lots of hanging affairs to be put in order. It seemed as though not everything was as happy and free as he had expected his “new-old” life to be, and he mentioned briefly that he had found out who “Katsumi” was. All in all, it was a very vague and non-descript letter, but I suppose it was as much as could be expected from a ninja.

I think I always knew Ein would never really have the time to come back, but something about the evasiveness of the letter made it shine out even more. At first I was temped to fall back into blaming myself, thinking that somehow it was me that had made Ein leave. It was then that I knew I had to press on. I was going to train and win the next DOACT or die trying.

And I did. I trained hours and hours, day after day. Without telling father, I went and sought out the underground fights Ein had trained in. A year past and gained more and more skill. I was eighteen when the invite to the third DOACT arrived in much the same way as has the last one. This time however, I burst into my father’s office as the teachers argued about how to respond.
“The honor is mine this time!” I cried, slamming my fist onto the desk, “and anyone who doubts can fight me for it!”
Hans and Kismar exchanged wary glances. Over the past few months I had garnered a great deal of respect among the staff. I did not actually teach, but they knew I was more then a match for them in a fight. Father knew this to and sighed, motioning Hans and Kismar out the door. Rising he walked over to me, his eyes hard.
“Hitomi,” he began, voice firm and slightly condescending, “Hans and Kismar have both acuminated enough respect to take my place without loss to the school. I myself will go to the tournament this time, as the most qualified person here to defend my style of karate.”
“No!” I cried, fists balling, “I already lost one member of my family to the DOACT, and I will not lose another!”

My right fist shot out, but father blocked it. Spinning, he kicked at my feet, but I flipped a back handspring to evade the sweep. He pushed forward, reaching out and grabbing my shoulders. Flipping me around, he kicked me in the back, sending me to the ground. I hit the floor of the office with a gasp, and my eyes began to water. But I had learned Ein’s lessons well, and I felt inside the knowledge, the desire, the power… I knew I had to win. Springing up, I gave a roundhouse kick with my forward foot, slamming it into father’s chest. He staggered back a step, and I leapt forward, grabbing his head between my hand and jerking it down while rising my knee. The drilling kick sat him down hard, and he fell back onto his hand for support. My right hand drove forward, stopping inches from his face.

Father looked at me in surprised. I was the first person to have beaten him in many years. Closing his clear eyes, he gave a quick nod, and I left for my room to prepare for my journey.

*******

The DOACT was like nothing I have ever done before, and it is unlikely I will ever do again. I had fought my way through dozens of lower caliber opponents in what seemed to be a elaborate set of qualifying fights before I reached my real opponents, most of whom had fought in the last DOACT. I guess it is true what they say about the DOACT been as much a test of endurance as fighting skill. My first real opponent was a Tai Boxer named Zack. I handled him easily enough, but he was obviously faster and smother then the people I had been fighting so far. I then fought a master of Drunken Fist. He was tricky, but didn’t pose too much of a problem. After the fight he offered to buy me a drink, but I declined. Its funny how in the DOACT some of the combatants seemed to be fine just with placing in the money earning top fifteen and don’t hold a loss against you. Not so with the bear of a man named Leon that I fought next. Until his fight I don’t think my opponents had really been trying to kill me, but Leon had missed the death-is-not-necessary-to-win memo. Still I managed to knock him out without killing him back, though I was forced to break both his legs.

I fought a pretty girl about my age with long orangeish hair next. After the fight we got to know each other better, but she told me her name, and I did a double take.
“What did you say?”
“Katsumi… my name.”
“Do you know Hayate?”
Her eyes dropped, and it looked as though she would begin to weep right there.
“Hayate is… is my brother…” she finally managed to choke out. Then she burst into tears.

She told me the whole story. About how Ein had been stolen from them after an injury had left him crippled. About how she had fled her clan and betrayed the ninja code to seek revenge on the one who had stolen her brother. How she was now hunted by her own clan for her treason, and that Hayate himself was the one that had to lead the hunt.
“Ein would never do that!” I cried, placing a reassuring arm over her shoulder.
“Your Ein might not,” she said with a slight smile, “but Hayate is nothing if not fiercely loyal. If the clan tells him I am to be hunted, then I will be hunted…”
“Of course he’s loyal!” I countered, “and even more so to those he loves… he’s just new to his life. Give him time and he’ll remember what he truly feels for you.”
She sighed and gave a small sad smile that reminded me so much of her brother.
“I was hoping if we could just see each other again… I heard a rumor that he’s at this tournament… if you meet him, please tell him that I still love him… that I still want to see him…”

The news that Ein might be in the tournament made me all more the eager to win. However, my next battle was much harder then those before. His name was Jan Lee, and he almost beet me twice with his flowing style. He took the loss hard, though it seemed he was more mad at himself than me. But I had noticed one thing, the fighters now were showing an inner drive; the same ferocious desire to win that had gripped both myself, and Ein before he left the school. There were, according to what I had been led to believe, would only be two more opponents. In traditional DOACT style, I wouldn’t know who they were until I actually met them in combat, but I had learned from a recently beaten opponent that the final battle was going to be a real doozy… apparently the DOACTEB would be testing a program against whoever the last contestant was… project omega or something…

But before that hill, there was the final battle and, though I was sure I would win, I could not help but wonder who would be waiting for me at the next location. The information I had been given led me to a massive mansion in the southern part of France. I arrived two days early at the huge building, and found it completely deserted. It was clean and neat, as though a host of invisible servants kept it ready for inhabitance, but I saw no one in my time there. I found a luxuriously furnished bedroom and decided to camp there until the match arrived. I spent the rest of the day walking through the mansion, but still found no one around. I did, however, find the balcony overlooking the Atlantic coast where the match was slotted to take place. It was a relatively tight ring, and I steeled myself to the notion that either I or my opponent would probably be knocked off it before the battle was over. That night, a hot diner was left at my room door, though I never saw the servant, and I slept uneasily. I think the whole set up of the mansion was to put the last two contestants though as much mental strain before their battle as possible. The next day was just as bad. I saw no one all day. Somehow food and drink appeared by my door, though as I recall, I was far from hungry by that time. By the time given for the fight I was ready to fight anyone… just to get out of the cursed house.

The fight was to take place on the balcony at eleven at night, but I was there a good ten minuets early; the house was just too eerie, and I wanted to practice a bit. I walked to the door that led out to the balcony and glanced through the window. My opponent must have felt the same way I had, because he was already out there, doing some pre-fight stretching routines. He was wearing a red ninja garb, though more traditional then Katsumi or the other ‘ninja’ I had fought in the torment so far. He had a ninja-styled straight-blade katana slung over his back, though the rules forbid the use of weapons in the tournament. I assume he was wearing it more as a sign of his clan… I have been told ninja clans get overly ceremonial at times. I pushed open the door and walked out to met him. He must have heard the door open and turned to look at me. The black shirt beneath his red outerwear rose up in a collar that cover the lower half of his face, but I recognized the eyes and straight brown hair at once.

“Ein!” I called, feeling the desire to run and hug him grab me, “it’s you!”
“Why, Hitomi!” he answered in Japanese, finishing the last of his stretches, “I heard that the remaining fighter was from my old school, and in all honesty I figured it was either you or your father… only you two could have made it this far…”
“Why don’t you come back to the Dojo?” I asked, rolling my shoulders to loosen them up, “father would love to see you again.”
“Give your father my regards…” Ein straightened, walking to the center of the balcony. I walked towards him, knowing that this would undoubtedly be my toughest battle yet. I had only beaten Ein before on the rarest of occasions, but I had grown much sent he went off to live with his clan. Bowing, Ein fell back into his fighting stance, and I followed suit.
“Well, have you ever faced someone this powerful?” he asked, and his mask hid from me weather he was giving that slight smile. Thinking back over the tournament, I brought back to mind every contestant I had fought. Boxers, ninjas, kung fu masters, karate warriors… none of them had fought like I knew Ein could. But then I thought back further. To when father had stared at me in surprise as I looked down on him. Wait… hadn’t father beaten Ein before, unaware that I watched?
“I have faced someone more powerful then you,” my voice rang out clear, “and I have beaten him!”

It is a fight I will always remember. I had learned much while Ein was gone, but he had learned much with the Ninja. His style was more flowing and open, though I still recognized patterns and skills from our school. Ein began the fight by jabbing at me with his forward left. I blocked, stepping to the left to get an opening. Ein’s leg shot out in response, trying to take out my knees. Instead of flipping back over the kick as I always had when fight him before, I decided to introduce Ein to one of my newer tricks. My hand shot out and grabbed the leg, holding it as I rolled forward. The force pushed Ein’s back to the ground, with me kneeling on and next to his chest. My right fist drove down, smashing into his cheekbone. Ein’s head slammed back against the marble floor, but he had more fight then that in him. Jabbing up with his left elbow, Ein clubbed me across the face, knocking me off him to roll over on the ground. Both of us jumped up, but Ein got his kick off first, foot shooting forward in a roundhouse as I retook my feet. The blow knocked be back and I slammed into the stone railing that framed the half-circle balcony. I heard an audible crunch as I smashed into railing, but it hadn’t come from my body.

I had been right, the balcony wouldn’t be big enough for a match, and apparently the twisted minds at the DOACTEB had thought the same thing. They had made sure the railing wouldn’t sustain a direct hit. I busted through the rail like only half secured stone it was and fell downwards. Fortunately for me, the fall was not as drastic as I had thought the day before. The side I was hit through was actually over a narrow, slanted roof that I hadn’t noticed when originally scouted the building. It wasn’t as far as the drop off the front of the ledge, but it was a good ten feet at any rate, and I hit the ground with a thud that drove the wind out of me. Ein had leapt off the balcony after me, landing somewhat shakily next to me. He could have easily killed me at that point, but he held off, not wanting to cause me too much harm, and also obviously worried as to my physical state after the fall. I quickly retook my feet, and realized two things. First the ledge we stood on was much narrower then I had thought, it was a miracle I had even landed on it, and second it slanted heavily to another long drop to the ground below.

Ein shifted his weight from foot to foot, obviously trying to keep his balance on the sharply tilted roof. I took a shaky step forward, and Ein gave me a warning glance.
“I could have killed you once already… please Hitomi, don’t make me…”
Ignoring his words, I darted closer, right hand shooting out to punch his exposed chest. Ein grabbed my punch and whirled, directing my force past him. The force of it pulled me further forward then I had wanted, and then it was like all those years ago in the rain.

Ein was behind me… and I was totally open.

When last he had chopped me to the back of the neck, Ein must have taken something off his stroke, either that or he really had gotten a lot stronger since training with the ninja. My head snapped back, and stars burst across my vision. I took a few staggering steps forward, then crumpled to the ground. I let out a gasp, then blacked out.

*******

I woke up in a soft, it not somewhat undecorated bed. Ein had hauled me off the ledge, through the mansion and to his room. He was sitting at a table in the corner looking over a paper when I came to. Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I glanced over at Ein, pain throbbing at the movement in my neck. Glancing over at me, he gave a distracted smile and returned to the letter.
“I see you are awake… sorry about my rather plain room… I did not know where yours was in the mansion.”
I responded with a pained grunt. I figured the letter had been given to Ein for winning the match. At least, it looked like the ones that always turned up when I won giving the details of when and where the next fight would be. A long silence stretched out, neither of us talking. Finally Ein broke the quiet.
“You’ve grown much stronger… I thought you had me when you reversed my sweep. You really should remember to keep your hands up…”
The comment reminded me of my meeting with Ein’s sister, and I sat up, ignoring my body’s screams of protest.

“I fought Katsumi.”

Ein started visibly. Setting down the letter he looked over to the bed.
“So she was here…” he murmured, more to himself then me.
“She says your trying to hunt her down…” he looked away, obviously somewhat ashamed, but not willing to deny it either.
“She broke our code,” he finally muttered, looking back to me, “I have no choice.”
“Katsumi broke your stupid ‘code’ because she loves you! She still does! So why are you doing this?”
Ein looked as though he was going to respond, but then shook his head.
“You are not ninja. You could not understand what-”
“Oh, I understand plenty Mr. Super Ninja Man,” I cut in, anger overwhelming my pain, “I understand that you’ve turned into someone that is not who my father pulled out of the forest and into his home. Is this who you are now? This, this Hayate guy… do YOU even like him? ‘Cause I liked Ein a lot better!”
With that I flopped back on the bed and rolled away from him, glaring at the wall. I was angry, frustrated, lost, and hurt. I knew only one thing for certain, I disliked Hayate immensely, and if Ein really was gone, then I hated Hayate for it all the more. I heard Ein sigh and rise. He took a few steps closer to the bed, and I felt his hand rest on my shoulder. I stiffened, trying to display that I was not going to talk until he saw the truth. Silently, Ein sank to sit next to me, hand still on my shoulder, his side against my shoulder blades. Finally, after a pause that seemed to stretch on for hours, Ein spoke.

“Hitomi, I don’t want you hate me… I just… I just have no idea what’s right anymore… I was scared to death that Katsumi would be here… that I would have to fight her, to kill her… If I refused to follow through, I would forfeit my position as leader of the Mugen Tenshin Clan… I too would be a runaway. I could never go back to my home…”
“Ein,” I whispered, turning to look up at him, “you will always have a home at the dojo, you know that…”

He looked down at me, and it seemed as though there were tears in his brown eyes. I wanted to sit up and grab him, to beg him to come away from all the darkness, but he stood just as my resolve peaked.
“You are right, Hitomi,” he said, picking up his small bag and stepping towards the door, “Ein is gone… and Hayate cannot shirk his duty. Please great your father for me…”
“Please, Ei… H- Hayate, if Ein ever returns, he is always welcome… and so is Katsumi… please remember!”

His step faltered, but he never turned.

He left.

I cried.

I have been crying ever since.

*******

I suppose I still am the best at the school. For my mere twenty years, I dare say I am the one of the best for my age. But those two years ago, when that idiot named Hayate walked out of my life, I lost most of my will to fight.

I received word that Hayate won the tournament. He again gave credit to father’s school for his victory. This repeat victory by a student, coupled with my placing second, ensured our school’s fame for years to come. The enrolment the session following my participation in the DOACT was triple our previous high. The strain has been great enough that we have had to employ another teacher, and even I teach.

I’m not really that great a teacher, and I know it. There really only seems to be one group of students I am good at reaching. The struggling, self-doubting, fighters that are sure they cannot win. I have tried many different methods, but have never found one that works better then a late evening fight in the rain. Ein’s method of teaching me has become the pillar of my teaching style.
On this cloudy, rain threatening, evening, I dismiss my student after some late sparring and turn to walk through the gardens. On nights when I’ve been thinking about Ein it generally help keep me cool, or at least lets me go where students will not see me, the vaunted Hitomi, weep like a child. Tonight my path takes me over the front courtyard where Ein taught me to believe in myself all those years ago. I come here often when I sense an impending downpour. Go ahead, call me a sentimental school girl, heaven knows I’ll agree… right after I finish beating the living snot out of you.

The rain begins to fall, and I lift my face towards the sky. Water pelts down on me, and with it fall the memories, hitting me like the rain, there and then gone. Flashes of images, a smile, a word, a breath… I would give anything to hold on to one, but like the rain, they wash away, lost in the puddles on the ground. Thunder rolls. The storm is so beautiful. It reminds me of him. Of how he was wild and strong like the thunder, yet so kind and soothing like the rain.

Someone is knocking at the gate. If I had not been out here, no one would have ever heard it. I am now doubly glad of the rain. It will hide my tears from the poor fool with a flat tire that wants to seek refuge here from the deluge. Sighing, I push open the small door built into the gate. Just as I do, a bolt of lightening streaks across the sky, making the dark evening as bright as day. And in that light I see two figures standing there, the larger male trying to shelter a shorter woman from the rain as they wait.

I start at the familiar leather coat, black jeans and grey shirt. Brown eyes smile softly at me, as he shepards the woman under the shelter of the arching gate. Her oval eyes and large smile greet me, and long with a flash of orange hair under cloth shielding her head. I am just standing here slack jawed, starting at the two with my blue eyes open wide.

“I see you still like the rain…”

His voice causes me to snap out of my trance, lurching forward, my hand extends out, unable to believe what my eyes are telling it.

“H-H… Hayate?”
“No… it’s Ein…”

That is too much. Crying, I leap forward wrapping my arms around his strong neck. The moment I hang there seems to take an eternity. Finally, I lean back to look up at him.
“Ein…”
“You were right,” he whispers back, squeezing me slightly, “Hayate was never someone I wanted to be. I never found a better name then the one you gave me all those years ago… so I’m just Ein. And you already know my sister Katsumi.”
The pretty girl has been hanging back, letting Ein and I enjoy our reunion. At her brother’s words though she raises a hand in a slight wave.
“So, Hitomi? We both fled the Mugen Tenshin Clan… does your offer still stand?”

By this time I no longer care if the rain hides my tears or not. Ein has come home. Taking both their hands, I turn towards the main building.

Tomorrow will be like the sun after the long storm.