Nothing could be more perfect than this… Lying beside her, seeing her calm face and golden locks… Seems like heaven…

This way Hao Asakura was thinking when he laid in bed by the side of amazing beauty, who now was known as his future wife… Anna Kyouyama – Asakura… sounded perfectly to him… Hao shifted in bed and stood up, walking to the window. He opened a curtain and looked outside: the sight wasn't as warm and cozy as inside – it was raining heavily for a week now. The last stands of fall brought chilly winds and endless rain, now and then already turning to snow. However, Hao put on fur cloak and opened balcony's doors, walking outside. His hair got immediately wet, but Hao ignored it all. He was waiting. To tell the truth, he had been waiting for this moment to come, but couldn't really tell when it was going to happen…but right now he felt that he has to be here…at this early hour, when sun just lifted itself from the ground. He was waiting. From the very moment Anna agreed to marry him, Hao had this feeling that though it is over with his family and all, it's not over with him and he will come sooner or later. He wasn't the type who gives up easily. And Hao Asakura knew it.

A sudden sound of whizzing arrow woke Hao up from his thoughts. It slashed the rain wall and hit into wooden handhold. Hao took out the arrow and found a note, wrapped on it. He slowly unrolled the papyrus and stared to the note for a few seconds. Then he slid the note to his pocket, broke the arrow and dropped it down the cliff… A hard night was waiting…

Anna woke up from all a sudden, feeling an empty place by her side – Hao was gone somewhere. She sat up and looked around, already wanted to call him, but Hao came back from balcony, water dripping down his hair.

"Hao, are you nuts?!" the blonde shot, quickly dressing up with red dressing-gown and walking to him "you could catch illness there, in this cold"

"It's not so cold" the man smiled, taking of his fur "and I'll be alright, don't worry" but with those word he found himself covered with warm towel.

"As if, Asakura, as if" Anna said harshly. She wasn't really mad at him, he knew it, but it was the only way Anna could show her concern to him and so Hao had nothing better to do just to put up with it…besides, he even liked her more this way.

"Yes" he said softly as he turned around "as if" Hao gave her a soft kiss…the same like first time, when she dried him in the very same way…but Anna, being all sensitive in changes and especially when it came to him, drew back and rammed her now-I'm-serious look to him.

"What's wrong, Hao?" she demanded. Hao slapped himself for not being more careful with her, since he planned to keep the note deed a secret at least until evening. First thing that came to his head was to pretend to be fool, but inside he felt that it won't work with Anna.

"Nothing. What are you talking about?"

"Don't play this game with me, Asakura" she demanded "you're hiding something, I can see right through you. And don't you dare lie to me!" Hao sighed heavily, seeing that his worthless pretending wasn't going anywhere. Decision: truth is the best strategy.

"Ren Tao challenged me into a fight. Tonight. Field of Darkness" Hao walked to his fur cloak and took out a note, giving it to Anna. The blonde read it and with every little line she felt her knees weakening. She walked to the step on which the bed stood and sat on it.

"And?" she asked, but, for her worse fear, she already knew the answer.

"I will go of course" Hao looked away "we have some long-unfinished business" the blonde lifted her eyes to him.

"Don't go there, Hao. He'll kill you"

"No he won't. I'm not going to let that happen" Hao said with assurance in his voice. However, Anna wasn't so sure.

"But you can't risk everything for some stupid disagreement of yours and his. I don't know what he done to you, but, please, don't go" Hao looked down to her.

"You do know that nothing you say can stop me" he smiled softly "I will always find an excuse there" Anna made a sound, something between laugh and shrug. That sounded ridiculous and completely suicidal…come to think of it, Anna didn't even know why she so desperately didn't want Hao to go. She knew he was a good fighter, but something told her that this is not for his nose anymore. But seeing how persistent he was, Anna had no choice.

"Yes, I know, but you also know that I will say all I can to stop you" Hao smiled wider and sat by her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling herself to him.

"Why you don't want me to go so badly?" he asked.

"Because…" Anna stopped there. Explanation just stuck into her throat, since only now she found how stupid it could sound to somebody else. But still…she could trust Hao, couldn't she?

"Because I sense that something bad is going to happen"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. And I don't want to find out, not in my mind, not in physical world, got it?"

"No" Hao smirked "because you will find out one thing"

"And what is that?"

"What's going to happen" Anna frowned and sighed heavily.

"You're impossible"

"So are you" he kissed her into forehead "now, up for a breakfast?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somehow, an entire day went through with Hao and Anna pretending that everything's fine. And not just in front of all people in the house, but in front of each other as well. Only when the sun turned to western side, Anna said to Hao:

"Are you scared of what's coming?" Hao thought for a while before answering.

"Good question" he said "I couldn't call it fear exactly, more like a worry, when you think of all the possibilities what might happen when the fight is over" the couple was standing in long corridor, which went in line with the cliff, so the sight ahead was although cold, but vast and beautiful in it's own way.

"Well, I really hate to say it, but I am scared. Scared because of you" Anna gripped the handhold tighter "I'm scared of us" she turned to him "don't go there!" Hao looked at her for a while, suddenly, an entire life of his running through his eyes…and only now he saw that it wouldn't look so nice if she wasn't around…if she wasn't his…if she wasn't at all… Hao hugged her tightly, inhaling deeply her scent…and just like the first time, it settled into his memory… and why this seemed like last moments to him?

"I will go, you know that" he whispered "and I will come back. One way or another"

Two tears pearled down Anna's cheeks… One way or another…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anna helped Hao to dress up his black kimono. She done it with no expression in face, but with all the gentleness she had inside. The last touch, when Anna swiped her palm through his back, to erase the furrows, made her stop there. She did it before, didn't she? Yes, that very first night she spent in Asakura mansion. It was raining then and Hao practically barged into her room and made her dry him out and take care of him…not that she didn't like it, but she just wasn't used of someone treating her like that…with love, mixed with irony. Only he had this ability to make things easy and complicated at the same time…

"Hey, are you awake?" a soft hand touched Anna's face. She gasped a little from sudden come back to reality, but answered instantly:

"Yes…yes, I am, I was just…thinking" Hao smiled.

"Yes, I supposed so" he walked to the small black marble table and took his double sword sheath, wrapping its belt around the waist. Then he took two katanas and put them into sheaths. Hao was ready. Anna walked close to him and hugged him around the waist, placing her head on his back. Hao put his hands on hers and they froze like this for a while.

"Hao, it's snowing" Anna suddenly said, looking to the window. Indeed, the snow was dripping heavily, covering the windowsill within seconds.

"Good" Hao smiled "more beautiful night" he turned around, not releasing Anna's hand from his "let's go" and they walked all their way down the corridors, eyes of servants here and there watching suspiciously. At the main door, Honoka was waiting for them, prepared the warm black cloak for Hao. The snorting of a horse was heard from outside. Honoka put on the cloak on Hao's shoulders and bowed to him with words:

"Do not forget your duties here, Hao" she said "you made a promise"

"I won't forget it, Honoka, I won't" he bowed back to her and walked outside, Anna following him. The horseman handed Hao his black steed and disappeared in darkness. For a moment there, Hao and Anna were standing frozen there, looking at each other. Then Anna stepped closer and kissed him, pressing herself to Hao's body and hard as possible.

"You do have duties here" she whispered "so make sure to come back"

"I will, Anna, I will" he kissed her into forehead and whispered "I love you"

"I love you too" then he jumped on his steed and was ready to kick off, but he turned back to Anna and said:

"You know why I'm doing this? What Ren done earlier?" Anna shook head and Hao continued "it was because of a sorceress, who neither could posses" the blonde's eyes widened.

"You mean, like me?" Hao nodded.

"The history's repeating itself. It's only that now I have you and he…"

"Wants to take me away" Anna finished. Now at least she knew she wasn't the only one this kind "was she worth it?" Hao smirked and closed to her with horse to kiss her for one last time. After it the man whispered:

"Not as much as you are" he gently and quickly flicked some golden strands of hair behind her ear and urged horse, galloping into the snowy night. Anna stood there for a while, looking into horseshoe prints on the snow… And yet again she saw him riding away…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hao flied across the plaints when he left the mountain and passed the village. The darkness was deep, but the man somehow knew where to go and the horse galloped to the right direction. Finally, the rider reached a valley, which was going down deep, like a bowl. He stopped on the edge for a while, looking down and saw what he was expecting to see: another man, standing by a white horse, which was almost shining in the dark of a night. Hao nodded to himself and urged his steed to go down the hill. As he reached the bottom and stopped, few meters away from the man, Hao jumped down and walked closer.

"So you didn't chicken away, did you?" Ren said in smirking tone.

"Funny, I was wandering the same thing about you, Tao" Hao answered, placing his hands on katanas. It was very dark, but men somehow saw each other. They both sensed that the beginning was coming…only something had to give a sign.

"As always know what to say, huh, Asakura?"

"Not like you, who'd always stay silent" Hao saw that this was going nowhere. He also spotted that it stopped snowing, but the snow already reached ankles. Suddenly, the clouds moved and a full moon illuminated the duel arena: both men attacked each other…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anna was sitting by her writing table, fingers folded in front of her, eyes closed. The blonde was trying to stay calm and not to think of anything. With all her strength she tried to blow away all her thoughts, good or bad and make her head soundless, but all she got was more voices of alarms, screaming to her that something will go wrong… Anna stood up and walked around the room, counting steps. Even more questions rang in her head and seemingly nothing could help… Hao was already gone for more than hour…how is the fight going on? Is Hao winning? Is he all right? Or injured…or even already dead and Ren is now coming for her? NO!!!

Anna shook her head and continued walking around the room. Honoka silently slid through the door.

"You should calm down a little" she said with worried tone.

"I can't, Honoka, I just can't. There's too much at stake" Anna answered, her voice trembling.

"If there's anything I can do for you…" Honoka started, but didn't finish, because Anna said it first:

"Yes there is. Prepare a horse for me and be quick about it" the blonde said before walking to change her clothes "maybe I won't be too late"…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hao and Ren had been attacking each other for quite a while, sparks coming out of their weapons every time they hit each other. Oddly enough, neither got seriously hurt, except for a few scratches here and there.

"Tell me something, Ren" Hao said, as they both stopped to catch the breath "why do you want a woman who doesn't love you?" Ren laughed a little.

"Don't you get it? She spent more time with me than with you. Surely, you don't have to know the details" Hao looked at him with look full of hatred "how come you end up with second-handed woman after all?" that was it: Hao jumped forward and attacked Ren as hard as he could, but Ren was expecting this: he dodged the hit and struck with his kwad-dao to Hao's back: that he felt. The man fell on snow and rolled few feet away, leaving stains of blood here and there. But Ren didn't stop there: he turned around and launched right to Hao, who was trying to stand up. The brown-haired man stopped the hit and by kicking Ren's knee, he knocked the Chinese man to ground. Hao quickly stood up, but not without pain: his wound on back was deep but not deadly so he swung with swords on Ren, but he rolled and rolled in the snow, dodging every hit and then at the right moment he jumped up and swung on Hao himself, but Hao blocked the hit with one katana and slashed Ren's chest with the other one: Tao flied back and fell on snow. Hao walked to the man, wanting to finish him off…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the top of the edge of Valley of Darkness, Anna stopped her horse and looked down: in the light of the moon she saw how Hao walked to Ren's not moving body. The woman felt immediate relief when she saw him alive, but her senses still were telling her of trouble… and to her horror, this became true…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hao walked to Ren's body and looked to him for a few moments. Then he raised his sword and was about to strike, but Ren suddenly woke up and thrust his kwan-dao to Hao's shoulder. The man shouted from sudden pain, which burned down all over his body. Hao found last bits of strength to slash through Ren's chest, leaving an open wound and slowly stopping heart. Katana's slid down from Hao's hands and he slowly backed few steps away before collapsing to the snow…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anna watched the scene with terror rising inside and whiteness on face. Her blood froze in her veins the moment Ren hit Hao with his kwan-dao. Anna felt somehow that this was the very last strike…last in all the ways. The blonde urged her horse and immediately got to Hao's strength less body. She jumped down and kneeled by him, lifting his head to her lap.

"Hao, can you hear me?" she asked and Hao opened his eyes weakly: they were in slight dizziness.

"Anna? You came?" he asked, his voice dreadfully weak to her.

"Yes, of course I did. Now I'll take you home and everything's going to be fine" but with these words tears pearled down her cheek and settled on Hao's lips.

"No, Anna, you know it won't" he said, blood coming from his mouth "the wound is too deep and too close to the heart" he wasn't moving, wasn't fighting anymore…just holding onto her hand.

"Hao, don't say this. You have duties, remember?"

"How can I forget? You're the dearest duty I ever had" Anna felt his warm blood flowing through her legs and hands. Another thing she felt was her own tears, flowing her cheeks.

"Hao" she begged weakly "don't leave me right now. You…you…" words just stuck into her throat. She was no longer able to speak, only her eyes, reflecting the light of the moon were speaking for her.

"Anna, I love you" Hao said, his voice weakening with every letter "I never told you, but I…I fell in love with you from the very first sight of you" he inhaled few times and Anna heard how painful it was to him, but he talked on "so many things I wanted to say to you…so many things I wanted to learn from you…you brought me to life, Anna. I thank you" the blonde bent to his, pressing her face to his.

"I love you, Hao. I love you, I love you, I love you" she repeated this many times, until…she couldn't feel him breathing anymore…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After this all I could remember was pain, tears, many faces, fire and then everything went into blackness. Woke up in my bed, cold and alone…as if I never met Hao Asakura. And this was life: not only I had my mother's mark of repeating destiny, but also, as a true geisha must, I left alone. Alone in this world, like a finger, with no shelter, no love, no compassion…no Hao. So, I could say the everything went into their places…but that wouldn't be true…

For a question lingered there: was I really alone in this world? Wasn't Hao still here with me? Wasn't I seeing him in the eyes of our son every time I looked at him? Didn't the greatest love come back to me in other form? He once said that he's come back to me, one way or another…and he fulfilled this promise… And now, when I see our son riding across the plaints, wind catching and playing with his dark brown hair, I can feel Hao with him, looking after him… I love you, Hao Asakura. You brought light to my life and I hope, for our son, that it will come for him as well…

THE END

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/S: ok, I finally finished it…maybe a little too quickly, but, hey, I maybe will come up with more stories ;))) that depends on time ;))) thank you for reviewing, being loyal and cheering me up as always ;))) I really appreciate your attendance ;)))) thank you, guys ;)))

P.S.: please don't cry in the end ;))))