Takeda

Over the next few days Takeda was a hot mess. He couldn't focus at school, which caused him to get into more trouble with the teachers than usual, and his punches lacked blows when he was training. All he could think about was Ashley and whether or not she would wake up. She had gone through a lot in just one day.

"If what the doctor guy said was true, then Ashley could also be remembering things from her past that she forgot. I think Allie said at one point that Ashley didn't know that she was related to Kenichi or anything to do with her past up until a few years ago," Takeda muttered to himself as he tried to get into a rhythm. He sighed and went to jumping rope instead of punching the bag. When he found her, passed out by a random tree, she was mostly free of cuts from the waist up, but her lower half was a mess. Takeda cringed every time he remembered it. He was thankful that one of Kenichi's masters had stepped in when he did. Any more beatings from the guy and Takeda wouldn't have been able to move. However now Takeda was healed and ready to fight again, but it would take a long time before he would be ready to take on a master. From what he saw, Ashley was stronger than him so him saying that he would protect her would only insult her.

The rope slapped against his bare shin but he didn't notice the pain it should have brought a normal person. He stopped jumping.

"This is hopeless. I can't even try to train without knowing if she's gonna wake up or not," he muttered. He put the rope down and walked to the showers.

Once he was finished changing he walked out of the gym and headed toward the dojo.

"Why? If it isn't Kenichi's boxer friend. You've been visiting us quite often these past few days," Miu's grandpa noted.

"Good afternoon Mr. Furinji," Takeda said. "Anything new with Ashley?"

"I'm sad to say no. She's still asleep. But she is still alive so that's a good thing," he said. Takeda nodded.

"Yeah, well I'm going to go see her now," Takeda said.

"You go do that. Let me know if something happens!" he said. Takeda nodded and ran to the clinic. Over the past few days he had gotten the route of the way to her clinic room memorized. He didn't stop to ask the secretary lady which room it was or how to get there. He ran right past her and straight down the hall to her room. When he got there he stopped and took a breath before opening the door slowly and gently. He peeked and saw that no one was in there. The only noise that could be heard was the beating of the heart monitor and her oxygen mask breathing in and out.

"She doesn't look awake yet," he said sadly. Takeda walked inside quietly and gently closed the door behind him. After finishing that he walked over to a stool next to her bed and sat down. He stared down at her hand and grabbed it lightly, kissing the back of it gently.

That's it. I've decided that I'm going to tell her. Please Ashley, wake up. Even though I'm weaker now, I'll grow stronger so that one day I can protect you. Heh, look at me sounding like Kenichi. Well, at least I have a clue at how he originally got his will of fighting. He may have no natural talent, but he doesn't give up when it counts. Takeda thought staring at Ashley's sleeping face.

"I will protect you, this I swear," he said, kissing her hand again and holding it in both of his. "You won't have to go through something like this ever again. I don't care how long it takes, I will prove to you that I am not like that other guy. Ashley…I lo-"

"You might want to hold that saying until she wakes up. I'm sure it'll mean more if you can see her reaction from the first time," Akisame said behind him. Takeda jumped and accidentally squeezed her hand while doing it. "Careful, don't want me to fix any more bones on her do you?" Takeda looked down at her hand and put it back down on the bed.

"No, no I don't. And how did you know what I was going to say?" he said. Akisame walked up to a window and looked out of it.

"I've been thinking about how to say the same three words to someone who is as special to me as Ashley is to you," he said.

"Allie?" Takeda guessed. Akisame laughed.

"Is it that obvious?" Takeda nodded.

"It's kind of hard to not notice when you two are constantly together and laughing," Takeda said smirking. Akisame laughed.

"I guess so," he said.

"What's been holding you back from telling her?" Takeda asked.

"The right timing. Things have been hectic in the past few days and I wanted to give it some time to make sure what I was feeling was correct. You see, I've never felt a love like this. Others around the dojo have even pointed out to me that I've been acting strange since I met Allie. Then again, I guess love can make anyone act differently. Some gain confidence while others lose it. Some act more aggressively, losing their gentleness and politeness. I can only say this from experience in my first few days of this kind of love," Akisame said.

"Yeah, I get how you feel. When I know she's happy and healthy, I can train harder and easier. When she's like this," Takeda trailed off.

"You lose focus and can't train as well?" Akisame guessed.

"More like I can't train at all," Takeda muttered, glancing back at Ashley.

"Some say these feelings get easier to control and manipulate over time, but I don't think that's true. Not in our cases at least. I feel like I fall in love all over again every time I see her smile, hear her laugh, or even watch her worry over her friends," Akisame whispered.

Takeda grabbed Ashley's hand again.

"Yeah, I feel like I've seen more of her in these past few days that I would have if we met normally," Takeda muttered.

"Well you did save her from being raped and killed," Akisame pointed out. Takeda laughed lightly.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said.

"Well, I think Kenichi is training right now if you wish to go watch him? I'll let you know if anything happens. She should be waking up anytime now," Akisame said. Takeda squeezed her hand once more and stood up.

"Yeah, I think I will," he said. He walked out the door and headed to where Kenichi was training.

Ashley

So many memories and thoughts went through Ashley's mind. Memories she had long forgotten, thoughts she had abandoned, fears she would rather forget, and emotions she just came to recognize.

"Mom! Kenichi hurt me!" a childlike voice rang. She turned around in the darkness of her mind to see a fuzzy picture.

"Well he's only a baby Ashley. You accidentally hurt people when you were little too you know. You just have to tell him it hurts and teach him how to be nice. Here, I'll show you," a lady said.

"Who are those people?" Ashley muttered. She floated up to the memory and touched the picture. It gave her a huge headache that made her double over. She opened her eye for a moment and the picture was now clear and the pain went numb for a while. The lady went to a little boy who looked a lot like a younger version of Kenichi. She took the hand of the little girl and had her gently stroke baby Kenichi's arm.

"See Kenichi? Nice. Now you," the lady said. She then took baby Kenichi's hand and had him nicely stroke the little girl's arm. "Nice." The lady said gently.

"What's going on? Who are they?" Ashley muttered. She reached out her hand once more, slightly afraid that it would hurt her again. It didn't. Instead the whole thing flew into Ashley's eyes and into her head. She gasped and floated away, expecting pain. When none came she let out the breath she had been holding. She looked down at her hands.

"That little girl….she's me," she whispered. "So what Allie told me was true. But, she doesn't know how I was taken. I need to find that memory." She looked around in search of it. All around her she saw fuzzy pictures with people moving behind them. "This could take a while," she muttered. She sighed and then floated over to the nearest one. She floated to each and every picture, experiencing all of the years she had forgotten. So many Christmases, so many birthdays, and all of the memories she had with her family. Every time she had to endure pain that made her double over, but it was worth it. She had to know.

Eventually she came to the last picture that wasn't clear.

"Here you are," she said. When she touched it she endured the most pain so far. If time existed in her mind, it would have lasted forever. Thankfully though, it numbed itself just like the others and she looked at the memory playing like a film.

"No! Leave him alone!" younger Ashley yelled. She looked to be about five years old. She ran at a man who looked like a younger version of Kizaru. Kizaru held younger Kenichi in the air as he struggled to be free of Kizaru's grip.

"Big sister!" younger Kenichi cried. Younger Kizaru grinned.

"Hm, so this does really work. I'll have to tell the old man that this method works better than the others," Kizaru said. "Tell you what little girl. You come with me and I wont hurt your baby brother," he said with an evil grin. Ashley could see her younger self display a bad a feeling on her face, but her younger self shook her head and took a deep breath.

"You promise?" she asked hesitantly. Younger Kizaru's evil grin widened.

"I promise," he said, trying to sound sweet but just wound up looking creepier.

"L-let him go first," she stuttered. He sighed and dropped Kenichi where he was, making him fall to the ground with a thunk.

"Kenichi!" younger Ashley exclaimed. She ran to Kenichi but before she could reach him younger Kizaru picked her up by the stomach. She tried to struggle.

"If you try to escape I will hurt him. You struggle in any way once we leave and I will come back and hurt him, bring back pictures to show you," he whispered in her ear. She froze and then started to tremble.

"Big sister Ashley!" Kenichi cried.

"D-don't worry about me Kenichi. Go home okay?" she said to him, trying to smile to reassure him but it only came out as a scared smile. Kenichi didn't move.

"Listen, Kenichi was it? You tell anyone about this and I'll make you never see your big sister again got it? Hell, I won't let anyone see her if you go and squeal," younger Kizaru said. Younger Kenichi started to cry but nodded anyway. He ran home, constantly looking behind him to get last looks at his sister.

The memory went through Ashley's eyes and into her head just like the others. She gasped and shuddered.

"So, that's how it happened huh? Kenichi must have not told since I've been missing since then. Does he even remember me?" she whispered. She sighed. "I must have really worried them. If I can get out of here, visiting them will be one of the first things I do."

"Are you sure she's going to be okay?" Takeda's voice rang. Ashley turned toward his voice but it was of no use. His voice was coming from everywhere.

"Takeda?" she said.

"How can you say that? She's been asleep for a week now!" Takeda yelled.

"What's going on? Who's he talking about?" she wondered. She noticed a light and felt herself float toward it.

"Ashley? What's going on? Her heartbeat is going down! Ashley!" Takeda screamed. She felt a pressure on her shoulder, as if someone was shaking it. Then she felt a pressure of two things on her chest.

"What's this?" she wondered. She stopped floating toward the light and looked at her chest. She touched the area where the pressure was and felt a surge of electricity surge through her. She closed her eyes at the sudden surge and when she opened them she was staring at a ceiling gasping. Her eyes looked around rapidly and stopped when she saw Takeda. He was looking down at her with worried and panicked eyes, sweat dripping from his forehead as if he had been running around for a few minutes already.

"Ashley? She's awake!" he said, relief turning his worried frown into a relieved smile and in turn making his eyes happy.

"Takeda?" Ashley whispered. She took a breath and heard a whisper. She reached up to her mouth and felt a mask just above where her mouth was. She took it off and sat as slowly.

"Careful! Don't go too fast," he said. He put an arm behind her back to help keep her up.

"I'll leave you two alone for now. Let me know if there's anything you need. I'll give you a checkup in a bit," Akisame said as he left the room.

"Ashley," Takeda whispered. He sighed and hugged her close, having her head against his chest. "You worried me so much."

"You were worried?" she asked. She thought that Haley and Allie would be worried, maybe even Kenichi if he knew who she was to him, but Takeda? Granted he wasn't a bad guy or anything, but it wasn't like they had known each other for a long time.

There was a part of her heart that began to scold her, saying that if it was reversed that she would be just as worried about him. It was an unknown emotion to her, this feeling that was bubbling in her heart and causing butterflies in her stomach. She began to feel her face get a little hot as she heard his heart beating against his chest.

He gently moved away from her, but still keeping her in his arms.

"Of course I was. I, um, I mean, that is," Takeda stuttered, his face growing red as soon as he looked into her eyes. She tilted her head in confusion and he looked away, his face growing redder still.

"Takeda? Are you okay? You're not sick are you?" she asked, raising a hand and putting it on his forehead. "You're burning up." He took a deep breath and looked back at her.

"It's now or never," he whispered.

"Huh?"

"Ashley, there's something I have to tell you," he said. She didn't respond, waiting for what he had to say. However it seemed that the longer the silence went on, the harder it was for him to say what he wanted to.

"If you can't say it, is there some way you can show it?" she asked, personally knowing that sometimes it's easier to show something than to say it out loud. He gulped and the red began to return.

"I-I guess I can," he stuttered. "Um, but you need to close your eyes."

"How can I see it if my eyes are closed?"

"P-please just t-trust me," he stuttered. She looked at him suspicious but did so anyway. About half a minute later she felt something press against her lips. She opened her eyes to see Takeda's face very close to hers, his eyes were closed, and she realized that it was his lips that were touching hers. Her face grew hot but she slowly closed her eyes and kissed him back. They pulled apart a minute later.

"T-Takeda," she whispered.

"I-I love you Ashley. I mean, I know we just met a week or two ago, but, I don't know, I can't explain how I know I do, I just do," he rambled. Ashley smiled and hugged him.

"I love you too, Takeda," she said into his chest. She heard his heart beat quicker and that made her smile grow bigger. He hugged her back.

The door suddenly opened with Akisame standing in the doorway.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked. Takeda freaked and jumped away from her carefully enough so that she wouldn't be hurt.

"N-no, we were just, um," Takeda stuttered. Ashley chuckled.

"Don't worry. It's been obvious how you two have felt since the beginning. Well, to us at least," Akisame said, walking up to Ashley's side. "Now, how about we get you checked up?" She nodded and he did a quick check up on her.

"So?" Ashley asked.

"You're almost done healing. You can leave if you want but I highly suggest that you take it easy for a while. You know, give your body some time to adjust to moving again before continuing any serious training," he said.

"Thanks doc. I'll definetly do that," she said. He nodded.

"Allie and Haley brought some of your clothes over so whenever you want to get dressed they are right over there," he said. He pointed to a table with her clothes on it. He said his goodbyes and left.

"I'll leave the room so you can change," Takeda stuttered. Ashley smiled at him and he also left the room. Shakily she moved the blanket that was on her and stood up. She didn't have to worry about the cords that had been in her since Akisame took them out when he examined her. When she got up she grabbed the stool that was nearby and used it as a support so that she got take a few steps. Once she got her balance the rest of the way was easy. When she got to the counter she put on her clothes and was pleased with the ones Haley and Allie picked out. A dark blue hoodie, dark blue jeans, and a pair of low heel boots that were starting to be worn down. Under her hoodie was a simple t-shirt with her school's logo on it and on the back it said, "We will rock you away."

Once she finished getting dressed she walked out of the room to see Takeda leaning against the wall right next to her door.

"I'm done." He looked over at her and smiled.

"Cool, so do you want to head to the dojo? Kenichi's dojo that is," he said. Ashley nodded.

"Yeah," she said. When they arrived the first thing she was greeted by was Allie and Haley running to her screaming happily that Ashley was okay .Takeda jumped out of the way and she laughed as they hugged her. A phone was heard ringing not a moment later and she saw her phone on the floor next to where Haley had been sitting.

"I was watching it for you," Haley said. "You left it at the dojo before we came here a week ago."

"Oh, thanks. I can't believe I left it there," Ashley said. She walked over to her phone and answered it.

"Hello? This is she. Yes, I'm very sorry that I missed the concert. What? Oh cool. So in two days? Okay. Yes I will definitely be there. Yes I'll explain it at school tomorrow. Thank you. Bye." She hung up and put the phone in her pocket.

"Who was that?" Allie asked.

"My school. They wanted me to know that they rearranged it so that the concert was this week not last week. Actually, in two days since today is Thursday," Ashley said.

"And you are going to perform in it?" Haley asked looking worried.

"Sure am. I think I should be fine to do it by then," Ashley said.

"And what about your health?" Allie asked.

"Akisame said that as long as I take it easy for the next two days I should be fine to start training soon. I'll take it easy today and tomorrow, then work some more on my dances and I should be good to go on Saturday," Ashley said. Allie and Haley looked doubtfully at her but she just shrugged.

"I think she'll be fine. If not, we'll all be there to help her anyway," Takeda said, putting an arm around her shoulders, glancing at her to make sure it was okay. She nodded and he relaxed. "Besides, I want to see her perform."

"We all do," Akisame agreed, walking up to them, stopping next to Allie.

"Akisame, Ashley should be fine to perform this Saturday right?" Takeda asked.

"I don't see a problem with that," Akisame said.

"But Akisame, she just woke up," Allie said worried.

"Yes, but she also slept for a whole week. Most of her wounds have healed because she was sleeping that long," Akisame explained.

"Oh," she said.

"Yes, so there's no problem in her performing on Saturday," Akisame said.

"Cool," Ashley said. They all then turned their attention toward Kenichi and his training. Today he had been training with Sakaki which was why Haley wasn't training with him.

"Punch harder! Focus!" Sakaki yelled.

The rest of the day basically involved them watching Kenichi going through his training. Once Sakaki had finished with him he went on to start training Haley.

A few days passed and the concert finally came. They went to the school as a group and Ashley was about to leave to get ready for the concert.

"Hold on Ashley," Takeda said, holding Ashley at the crook of her arm gently.

"What is it Takeda?" she asked. She looked around and noticed that the rest of them had split off in different directions. Haley and Sakaki in one direction by themselves, Allie and Akisame in another, Miu and Kenichi one more way, and the rest of the masters had just went to walk around the school.

Takeda pulled her in, moved her head nicely so she was looking at him, and placed his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. When he pulled away he was smiling at her.

"I can't wait to see you perform. Break a leg," he said. Ashley smiled, hugged him, and went to her dressing room.

HEY GUYS!

HERE WAS THE FINAL CHAPTER!

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MOMOCHAN77:FOR RIGHT NOW THERE WILL BE NO SEQUEL SINCE I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHERE TO GO IN THE STORY FROM HERE. MAYBE IN THE FUTURE AFTER A FEW MORE STORIES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW THERE WILL BE NO SEQUEL.

THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR READING THIS STORY. I HAVE ABOUT 6 OR 7 OTHER STORIES OUT RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANT TO GO READ THOSE :) ONE OF THEM WILL BE FINISHING SOON. ONCE THAT'S DONE I'LL BE BRINGING OUT TWO MORE STORIES. ONE IS FOR FAIRY TAIL AND THE OTHER FOR ONE PIECE.

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