Dawn of the new era

Chapter 24

Through the darkness of the night, kaza brushes a branch from his face. The bushes hits against his pants as he walks through them. The silence of the forest follows behind kaza. The forestry around him begins to merge together, as the endless searching catches up to him. "This should be the place atwo said but..." Kaza pauses in his tracks, as he faintly eyes the visual of a shadowy figure standing in place, under the moonlight above them illuminating the sole figure, kaza freezes with widen eyes. "Atwo was right. Could...Could it really be you!?" The words slip out of kazas mouth as he abruptly starts to slowly approach the the figure that doesn't speak. Kaza examines the figure profile, wearing a long dark purple robe. Kaza notices the mask they are wearing, in the middle of his inspection kaza sees a glint of steel pass from behind the figure heading straight toward him, a kunai gets thrown his way. Kaza doesn't dodge the kunai, he continues to look forward unflinched, the kunai falls off the tree and lys on the tree trunk. Kamui appears from behind the figure and stands between them both. "Alike..." Kamui coldly utters as he glares at the unchangeable kaza. "Alike..? Those words, have we meet before?" Kaza questions only for no response, kamui slightly lifts his hand, holding another kunai. "(Atwo said they wert alone then... It really is you.)" Kaza focuses his attention on kamui untill the figure takes a step forward with an arm back signalling kamui to back down. "Make sure no interruptions." Midnight tells kamui who clicks his tongue as he puts his kunai away and with a final glance at kaza, leaves.          

Kaza watches kamui leave. The silence of the forest consumes the atmosphere around them as kaza and midnight are left alone. Kazas overwhelming emotion mingle with one another as he looks at the man in the mask in front of him. Kaza motions for a step forward, however his leg doesn't move. Kaza looks down at his leg with a muddle expression. "I thought i knew what i was going to do when i saw you again, but... For some reason, im not sure. (The person i been looking for is finally in front of me... Looking at me, so why can't i move!?)" Kazas weavering eyes shift around conflicted says to midnight who remains silent in front of kaza, looking over to him. "You... You knew i was around here didn't you? Thats why you stopped moving around and stayed close to the town right? Your still compassionate as you always been for others." Kaza softly tells him with a mild smile as he looks down. Midnight vaguely shows a slight response to his words.        

"I knew right away the person in the mask was you, ka chan..! I was there the night master gave you the mask remember?" Kaza looks back up to midnight with a reminiscent tilt of his head, midnight continues to remain silent with a flinch of his hand beside him. "I knew someday, i would find you again and when that happened, i would stay by your side just like when we were kids... You, me and sakura again! I wanted that dream to come true for so long now!" Kazas buoyant smile shines brighter then night sky as he conveys to midnight. Midnight looks up toward the radiant moon above them. "Thats exactly as you said. That's nothing more then a dream. A dream that will never come true." Midnight slowly looks down at his hand that he lift in front of him. Kazas bright smile turns dim, as he gives midnight a puzzled looked. Kaza notices midnight looking down at him hand and walks over to him. "Ka chan..? Is that really you? You sound different. Why would you say something like that?" Kaza questions as he places his hand on midnights. "(So cold!)" Kaza doesn't feels any warmth from midnights hand. 

"That dream is impossible to achieve. Sakura is no longer here..." Midnight utters under his mask. Kaza looks up from his hand to midnight brief explanation. "Sakura chan? Well, yeah. She's not here right now, but once we go back to the dojo-." Kaza gets cut off as he feels midnight grip tighten alittle. "In this world. I killed her with these own hands." Midnight mutters in a cold tone that freeze kazas movements. Kaza looks back down at midnight hand and lets go. He uncautiously takes a step back creating space between them. Kaza stands pale as he wipes a stream of lukewarm liquid from his eyes with his sleeve, a rush of heat runs through his body upon hearing midnights words. "Sa...Sakura chan is dead? You...You killed her? Ka...Ka chan, you learned how to tell jokes, but you know that crossed the line. It wasn't funny." Kaza wavered voice says anxiously to midnight, who doesn't respond to kaza. Kaza looks at midnight with downcast eyes for a tranquil moment before he speaks again.

"Ka chan. I cant imagine you doing anything like that. Even now i still can't believe it. Ka chan... When you left us all those years ago, sakura was devastated that you left. She continued to smile everyday, believing you would return." Kaza explains with a gentle smile as he looks at the aloof midnight. "Enough." Midnight says in quiet voice. "Even though she never knew how to use a sword, even though she was weak. She learned how to use one for you ka chan. She trained really hard with master shura everyday." Kaza continued with a slight pause. "Thats enough." Midnight voice raises slightly higher. "Sakura chan, never once forgot about you. She didnt regret spending her time with or was discourage when you left without even a farewell. I dont know what happened to her, but im certain that just being able to see you again, ment everything to her. That's why i know whatever happened, there must have been a reason for it." Kaza concludes in a downbeat tone. "I said enough!" Midnight shouts to kaza catching his attention, breaking the silence. "Ka chan... It must have been painful for you. You were close, but sakura chan was my friend to you know? You dont think i feel anything hearing about her? Instead of feeling sorry for her, i can at least feel happy. Happy that she was able to get what she wanted in the end." Kaza flustered. He gives midnight a bold gaze at him.                                 

"Dont talk like you know everything." Midnight snaps with bitter tone. "Its been so long since we last talked to eachother so then, why wont you talk to me?" Kaza voice rises with a hint of sadness. " The person you been looking for is no longer here." Midnight quietly utters an a cold voice. " What are you talking about? What would make you say such words? You sound different. You dress different. You act different and now you say your not the same person? I went travelling around to see you again and what i find is a bounty of you on the board? What have you been doing this entire time?" Kaza voices his concern to his friend, as gives midnight a worried look. "I...Never knew anything. Only after my kingdom was destroyed and i left the dojo, i learned what the real world was like. It was kamui who taught me that, along with a man wearing a black scarf. Even now i can that mans indigo eyes looking right through me." Midnight voice almost sounds like it broke into a pained tone. "Ka chan... What did you see out there? I couldn't protect you. I wasn't able to be by your side either. Im sorry, for leaving you alone this whole time. I should have fought harder and went with you on your journey  back then. Im here now though, i wont ever make you feel lonely again! Im not leaving your side again so... Go back to being the ka chan i know! Whos always smiling and trying his hardest with everything he does, always moving straightforward down the path he created for himself, never weavering. Thats the ka chan i always admired!" kaza takes a step forward with overwhelming emotions.         

"I dont believe i asked for your opinion, didnt i tell you the person your looking for is gone? Now leave and show yourself in front of me again." Midnight coldly brushes kaza off as he turns away showing him his back. "Ka chan... I think i understand. You wont listen to words. Then ill make you listen to me through a clash of swords! Just like the old days. Its been awhile hasn't it? Since we last fought like this." kaza wipes his tear away and gives him a determined expression. "Pointless. Have you forgotten who won every match we fought? Do you honestly believe you stand a chance against me? It will be no different, not then and not now." Midnight turns back around and glares at kaza with a displeased look. "I wasn't able to be you back then, but in my search for finding you, i became stronger as well. In order to protect you and relief you of the heavey burden you placed on yourself! Like you said. I was never able to beat you, but that was against the ka chan i knew then. I will never loss against this person you became now!" Kaza shouts to midnight who looks to the skys. "Your naive. If you think all you need is alittle strength alone would change anything, your wrong. You know nothing about the real world. Nothing at all..." Midnight lowers his voice with downcast eyes.      

"Your the one who doesn't understand anything! You can't even see the things in front of you! Has that mask clouded your judgement? If so, then ill free you from it! Along with all the pain you endured alone, this whole time." Kaza determination agitates midnight composer. "All talk. Is that so? In that case, show me. Prove to me what you say is true, if you think you can." Midnight accepts the challenged and they both steel themselves prepared for their battle at hand.