Tsubaki - (Takeru x Mako) Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

1. awakening

The skies were bright gray. Humid air promising rain.

Mako stared out the airport windows watching a plane take off. That would be her soon, heading home to Hawaii.

Her heart was filled with excitement and unease.

What would it mean to reunite with her parents, who abandoned her due to her mother's PTSD?

Would she finally experience the tight family bond she had been longing for? Or would the resentment from being deserted in Japan overwhelm her?

But she reminded herself, she could face anything.

It had been 3 days since the samurai defeated Doukoku. 2 days since the samurai parted ways.

At least she felt as though she could face anything.

Mako lifted her head up, noticing all the people sitting at her gate packing up and heading to board the plane.

Her flight had been called.

Mako stood up, noticing how silent everything had gone. When she looked around, it was blue and red, then stained with black.

Holding her hand out, she couldn't feel any sensation before her. She heard commotion with concerned gasps and wondered what was happening.

"Wake her up!"

She laid cold on the ground.

~~~

"Dono-sama, I'm disappointed..." Ji complained to the stubborn lord. "I wanted to teach you how to have fun, but you're not interested in the least."

Ji picked up the guitar he gifted Takeru.

"Women like men who play instruments."

"Ji!" Takeru was quick to react from embarrassment.

"Maybe that should be your next goal; falling in love." Ji teased, which successfully triggered Takeru to dissociate.

As Takeru coldly abandoned him, a new commotion prompted Ji's attention.

"Mako?" Ji rushed.

~~~

Takeru wasn't even sure what he was doing.

But he was drawn to his training kimono. He slipped it on, tying his belt cautiously before drawing a wooden sword from the dojo.

He was fully aware there was no longer a reason to fight. He should be glad.

But the way of the samurai was all he seemed to know.

It made him think... was Juzo right? Did battle call him? Was that his purpose?

He knew Juzo was wrong, and his fellow samurai saw much more in him than that.

So he suppressed his thoughts by going through the basic sword forms he learned as a child. Then moving on to the harder ones he had learned as he got older.

When he had enough, he patted the sweat off his forehead with a cloth.

He was ready to head straight to his quarters, sliding the door open and heading indoors.

But his instincts told him, don't take another step. And when he looked down, there laid Mako.

An illusion. This is the room where the samurai laid when they were injured.

Takeru couldn't believe he was imagining things. Heck, it had only been 2 days since he had seen the samurai.

He kneeled by his illusion, noticing a bowl with a wet cloth next to him.