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We pressed on, only stopping to camp and tend to Tensu when he cried out.
"Don't worry, Tensu-sama," I said, "We will be there soon, see? Its just above the horizen."

"Hii(yes)." he replied with a slight sigh in his voice. Kura-chan and Uzumi were helping me lead Tensu-sama along. Uzumi looked as if getting Tensu to the hotspring was his most important mission since our meeting.
"Ambaru," he said to me as I broke from my trance-like state of daydream,"Why don't you help us, feather-head. We might move a bit faster if you'd stop stopping." he snickered. I ran back over to them and lifted Tensu's head. He moaned in pain as I did so.
"I see the spring!" Kura-chan shouted. Once we reached the foot of the mountain, we gently laid Tensu into the spring. At first, he let out a howl of pain, then he sighed with relieve.
"This will most certainly help," Tensu grinned.

The springs were enchanted, and so, had the properties of a herb potion. Tensu's wounds would take about a day to heal.
"Well Ambaru," Uzumi sighed, "what shall we do now?"
"We will have to stay by his side......afterall, he is apart of me now."
I placed my hand gently on my chest, over my heart. Uzumi stared at me as if I had just reveiled to him a side of me he never saw.
"Alright then, we shall set up camp here and......" Uzumi paused. Again he heard the cry of pack, his mother, Ho-Oh. "I must part with you two once more. I'm sorry." he urged. He leapt into the forest trees before I could protest. I stared into the trees as if hoping he'd return.
"Fine." I said firmly. I had a tear in my eye as I turned to face Tensu. "Why does he keep doing this? He doesn't even bother to tell me where he goes....." Tears welled up on my face. Kurasaki stared at me and smiled.
"Don't worry about him." she told me as i wiped the gloomy tears from my face. "He must have a good reason, afterall why would he leave his lover?"
"LOVER?!" I protested, "Uzumi is nothing to me! He tried to keep me as his prisoner and then make me find the Orbs of The Fourteen Dragons! Why would I....." I stopped. I began to recall that day that he saved my life. He defeated Kumo and kept him from taking me. Then, that day I had been wounded. He and I looked into each other's eyes. Uzumi felt so warm against me. I could hear his heart beat faster as he and I drew closer.....but then, I turned away from his lips. I wanted to feel how soft his lips were, how warm he would have been against my chest. I wanted to feel his hands caress my face. I regret that moment everytime I recall it. As I pulled from my flashback, Kura looked at me with puzzled eyes. I was crying again. I leaned against her shoulder and told her what I had recalled while the tears tried their best to cleanse my sorrow. Kurasaki nodded along to my words and hugged me tight. She understood me, and thats what made her my friend.....



That early morning....


"Ambaru, wake up." a voice said to me. I arose from my bedroll and looked forward. It was Uzumi. I reached foward and hugged him.

"Uzumi...." I whispered. He looked at me with a look that made me want to giggle.
"A-Ambaru...." he held me with his arms and didnt let go. We stopped and turned around to see Kura-chan and Tensu staring at us.
"Hehehe." Tensu laughed. "Well you two, time for the next mission."
"Yeah, you guys can hug and kiss later." Kura-chan teased. We all laughed and then packed up. We were off once more.


We were approaching a temple that held the next orb. It was the western neko tribe. I insisted to Uzumi to stay outside and hidden. I hadn't yet mastered my mimicry jutsu for others yet so he agreed. As Kurasaki and me approached I saw a familiar face that brought me to tears.....It was my Oto-san(father)! He stared back at me and gave me the same glance. I was so full of joy that I cried out to him.
"OTO-SAN!!!" I cheered.

"Ambaru! My daughter!" he cried back. We both hugged each other tightly and cried in each others arms. He looked at me with the love every father shows his daughter. "Ambaru," he finally said, "how have you been? I was so worried when I awoke without you by my side."

I looked at him with amazement, "But....how did you survive the fire? Oka-san, Rhombusu nii-chan and I saw you burn to death." I let out a sorrowful sigh when I thought of my missing brother and deceased mother.

"Well my powers as a fire-neko helped me greatly. Since I have the power of the Phoenix Feather, I could revive. The shaman told me it took years before I could be fully revived." He looked into my troubled eyes. He then asked, "What troubles you, daughter?"

"Rhombusu nii-chan.....he and I...we had been separated after mother and you died. I was kidnapped, but I escaped. I just wish I knew where he was....I miss him so." I sobbed. He stared at me, his eyes glowing like a blazing fire. He didn't say a word. "Oto-san?"

"Oh its nothing my dear, I'm just.....shocked. Please stay with me for a while." he said. We walked towards our castle overlooking the village while Kura-chan explored our village. As we walked into the living quarters my father stopped me and stared at me.

"Ambaru.....you smell of Sub-Wolf." he exclaimed, "May I ask why?"

I stood there shocked and quickly thought of a lie. "Kurasaki and I have been into many battles recently. One with a Sub-Wolf not too long ago."

"Oh, I see. Well then..." He called for four servants, "Take my daughter to her quarters and have her cleaned and dressed."

"But father, that's not------" I was cut off and silenced.

"It is very necessary, so quiet your tongue. I will not have my daughter smelling of battle and death." he walked off as they took me to my quarters. I asked one to wash my battle garbs as I was asked to remove them. They filled a large tub with hot spring water and flower petals. They poured the flowered water over my head and when they requested to bathe me, I declined and they left. I stared into the afternoon sun as I dragged a hand over my arms. My mind then wandered off once more.......'Uzumi' my mind seemed to whisper.


Outside

Uzumi waited in the forest and paced back and forth, wondering what was taking Ambaru and Kura-chan. "What happened to them? s**t, I guess they'll understand if I just go for a stroll."

Back inside the castle, I sat in the tub as the smell of flowers filled the room. I breathed it in deep, as if to savor the wonderful scent of a garden. All of a sudden, my Oto-san came in and sat next to the tub. I blushed with embarrassment. "OTO-SAN!!" I shouted as I dumped myself deeper into the water. He chuckled.

"Ambaru, my dear it is O.K. I have seen you as I child and I'm your father." he laughed again.

"That's beside the point." I replied crossly, " Besides, you could have at least announced yourself, and I've grown. I'm not your 'little girl' anymore." I laughed as he gave me a strange look. He then smiled.

"You look just like your mother." He said in a sweet voice. His words made me smile and also brought me to tears. " You're her spitting image, Ambaru. Don't forget your royal and noble blood. You will follow in her footsteps."

I stared at him with my tearful eyes, wondering if he knew how I felt about her death. Inside, my inner self wants to call out to her, hoping she'll call back and hold me. It wants her to sing her sweet lullaby and ease my soul. "I miss her Oto-san." I sighed.

"As do I." he replied, "I miss her more than anything, but you must look to the future my child.You shall soon lead us to prosperity."

"Hmm." I stared outside once more and then something of urgency hit me. "Oto-san, gomenasai, but I must take my leave. Something has come up." I quickly jumped up from the tub, forgetting my father was there, and dried myself. I then grabbed my cleaned garbs and dressed fast. " I promise to return father. Please do not worry."

"As you wish." he replied, "Return when you can."

I nodded agreeably and quickly grabbed Kura-chan. We both descended into the forest, toward the disturbance........