China, 680

Tianyi brushed some dust off her cheongsam and headed out the door into the courtyard. The sun was shining brightly, and the other students were starting out to class. Tianyi, being the only female in the small class of prestigious boys was always expected to be the first one to class. She cursed herself for oversleeping and ran to class, just seconds before the next student appeared.

"Good morning, Tianyi."

"Good morning, Longya."

The elder student smiled at his best friend, "You seem horrible. What is wrong? Did you not get enough sleep last night?" he smiled.

"Yes. I was catching up on my embroidery and it ended up getting very late before I could go to bed!" she rubbed her eyes.

Longya rubbed her back, "It must be hard to balance all of your housekeeping lessons and still be a student here."

"It is! But I like it here. If my mama and baba were still here, they would tell me to keep going. And that's what I will do. It was their dying wish to see me off."

"You miss them a lot, don't you?"

"More each day."

After the long class day, Longya and Tianyi wandered the corridors of the palace their school was located in. Because this school was the emperor's son's class. Longya was the emperor's son and first successor. Tianyi had been from a small village, and word got to the emperor about her genius brain. She was immediately brought to the palace to be taught, in hopes of her becoming a great organizer to the emperor and a potential bride to one of his sons. After being brought to the palace, it wasn't long before she became best friends with Longya.

"Longya that's ridiculous. Teacher Han's shoes could not float in the pond! They would scoop up too much water and sink, because his feet are so big." Tianyi laughed.

"Oh now stop. His feet are only as big as my head!" Longya joked back.

Suddenly one of the emperor's servants came frantically running down the hall, "Longya, Longya! Come quick, you're father has been stabbed! The assassins are still in the palace. You must come now!"

Longya's face quickly grew dark, "Tianyi get back to your room."

"But-"

"Now!" he yelled.

Tianyi, afraid seeing her friend like this, quickly bowed and ran as fast as she could back to her room that was located in a small hut outside the main palace building. She bolted out the door of the building and into the garden that was not far from her room. As she turned a corner she came face to face with two rough looking men. One of them was holding one of the emperor's concubines by the throat. He raised his dagger and sliced it over her throat before tossing her away like a piece of garbage. The second man then stripped her of her jewelry before spotting Tianyi.

"Hello there, little girl. What are you doing here?" the first man laughed.

Tianyi was paralyzed with fear, and began to back away slowly. "Are you one of the emperor's daughters?" the second asked, stuffing the concubine's jewelry in a bag. Tianyi quickly shook her head. "A maid then?" She shook her head again. "Oh, then what are you?" he asked, slowly approaching her.

"A-A student."

"A student? How special." He wiped the blood off his dagger on his shirt and pointed it to Tianyi. "And why exactly are you a student here, little girl?"

Tianyi, still paralyzed, managed to get her brain moving again. She picked a small twig off the ground and threw it into the eyes of one of the men. He screamed, and then with every ounce of energy she had in her body, ran as fast as she could back into the palace, constantly looking back at the two screaming assassins following her right into the palace.

"Longya! Longya!" she screamed, praying he could hear her.

Longya crashed into her and quickly put his arms around the scared girl. "What is it? What's wrong?!" She pointed to the two thugs behind her. "You two? What are you doing in this palace! You have no business here. Get out before I call the guards on you!"

"Why isn't this the little emperor's jewel? Look at that face, so small and delicate. You couldn't hurt a fly." one of the men said, grabbing Longya by the hair and placing his blade against his cheek.

"Let him go!" Tianyi protested.

"And this student girl, is she your little fiancee?"

The second man laughed, "This can not be her. Look at her! Does she look like a pound of gold? No. She looks like a pound of dung." It felt like a sharp spike at been stabbed through Tianyi's heart. It was true that Longya's fiancee was as beautiful as a pound of gold, and she knew that even though the marriage was arranged, that Longya had fallen in love with her. It hurt because Tianyi had fallen in love with Longyu, and to be assumed to be his fiancee hurt even more.

"How dare you talk about Tianyi like that!" Longya kicked the man and he dropped the blade, leaving a small cut on Longya's cheek.

"Oh no! Are you alright?" She asked, cupping his bleeding cheek.

"I'm fine. You bastards!" he screamed at the men. "You killed my father didn't you?!"

The men laughed, "Now, now. There is someone much more skilled behind that. We're just here to help clean up the mess."

"Longya what do you mean killed..." she whispered. "He...died?"

"Yes." he whispered back.

"Well now, we better get out of here. None of us want to be here when the grand finale goes down." And with that the two men ran off, before Tianyi could even yell back at them.

Then a huge sound, filled the palace, followed by screams. The heat burned at both of their backs, and the whole room was engulfed in flames. Longya was quick to react, and grabbed Tianyi's hand, running down the hall to get out of the burning building.

"Longya! Longya, are you in here?!" A sweet voice echoed through the hall.

"Qingxian? Where are you?!" he called out to his fiancee.

"Over here! Follow my voice!" Longya followed the sweet voice until he found his scared fiancee huddled near some flames. He scooped her up into his arms.

"Stay close to me, Tianyi." She nodded and latched on to the back of his shirt, they slowly navigated down the quickly collapsing building, not wanting to trip on anything. There was a loud crack, and a beam came collapsing down.

"Look out!" Tianyi pushed Longya out of the way and let out a huge scream as the burning beam pinned her to the ground. The building was collapsing all around them. The walls began to fall down like leaves.

"Tianyi!" Longya screamed.

"Longya, Longya help me." she croaked out, holding her shaking arm out to him. "I-I can't move. Please help me!" she cried.

Longya put Qingxian down and started to Tianyi. "Longya what are you doing?! This building is going to come down any second! We need to get out of here."

"Longya please! I'm going to die!" Tianyi sputtered.

Longya was torn between the girl he loved and his best friend. He looked down into Tianyi's eyes and they both knew the same thing. "Tianyi I-"

"Go."

"Tianyi?"

"Just go! Go on! Get out of here!" she screamed, choking through her tears.

"No Tianyi. We can all get out of here together. Just I can...I'll-"

"No Longya. It's impossible. Please...just go. Go." the hot tears were dissolving quickly in the heat.

Longya took one last look at the girl pinned underneath the beam and picked up Qingxian. He began to snake down the hall, his back on Tianyi. The outside only a footstep away. "Longya..." Tianyi reached her arm out to him, and swore he stopped for a second. "I love you." he disappeared into the open air. She screamed once more as flames danced up her body, and finally she was put out of her suffering when a piece of falling ceiling helped her enter Heaven.

Japan, 1360

Yuma peered from between the his black hood. Everything was going to plan, the war lord was currently dancing around drunk, surrounded by other high ranking officers. He adjusted his position in the bush and watched as the shadows danced back and forth up against the rice paper windows.

"And what are you doing here?"

Yuma quickly turned around, bearing his weapons to the speaker. It was a young woman, covering the bottom of her face with a pink fan. She was wearing a long flowing red, white and pink kimono. "Princess Mizki..." Yuma gasped as she ran her fingers up the pink blade she was wearing.

"Do I know you?" Mizki raised an eyebrow, and put her fan down. Yuma was struck by the princess's beauty.

"I-I-I-" this was not normal for a ninja of his status.

"You're a ninja aren't you?" she drew her blade. "I would just like to tell you, that my father is at that party and I don't respect the fact you and your friends are trying to assassinate him."

Yuma scoffed at the princess's daring move. "Everyone hates your father. He is a tyrant to Japan and deserves to go straight to hell."

"You'll follow him down."

"Those are large words for a woman to say." he said, readying his weapons.

Mizki seemed displeased. "And you, have no respect for women."

"What? No, I highly respect women."

"Then why are you talking like such a scum?!" she yelled back.

Yuma raised an eyebrow at the familiar phrase. It was said to him many times back when he was a little boy, who played with a little girl he cared for very much. She was like a sister to him, in fact, they even addressed each other as such. But one day a pack of ninjas entered their village, warning them of an attack by a large evil lord. The people of the village panicked, and begged the ninjas to help them. The ninjas then answered that they could only save two people. Soon, people from every corner were pushing each other out of the way, wanting to escape the attack with the ninjas. The two children stayed in the back. Yuma wrapped his arms around the girl, and told her everything would be okay. One of the ninjas took notice of Yuma's kind heart and they decided they would save Yuma and the girl.

"Here is the plan. I like Yuma, he seems like a powerful boy. So we shall take him back to our home, where we will train him to become a ninja. As for the girl...she must stay."

"What?!" Yuma yelled. "What do you mean she has to stay?!"

"Don't worry she will be saved. As a matter of fact, this whole village will be saved."

"How?" everyone asked.

"By her beauty. If the villagers offer her up, the lord will be sure to take her in as his daughter."

All of the villagers agreed it would be a great thing to do, including the girl. Everyone except Yuma agreed. "No way! You can't give Kiki away like some animal!"

"Yuma please! I think it's a good idea. If I can save my village like this then I'll be happy too!"

"Kiki, listen to me. You can't do this! I won't leave you." he hugged her.

"Stop talking like that! Can't you see that time is running out? You must leave now!"

"I just want what's best for you!"

"Then why are you talking like such a scum?!"

Yuma was stunned by her words. He simply nodded and got onto one of the ninja's horses. As they rode off, he looked once more at the group of villagers, Kiki in the front, ready to start her new life.

"You still haven't changed at all, Kiki."

Mizki froze for a moment. "What? Excuse me but that is not my name." her blade sagged a little.

"Are you sure? Because Kiki sounds like a great nickname for Mizki." he answered back.

"That sounds childish."

"Funny, my sister said the same thing."

Tears rimmed Mizki's eyes. "Y-Yuma?"

Yuma smiled, his eyes perking up in an eye smile. "Yes, Kiki. Long time no see."

Mizki threw her blade to the ground and wrapped her arms around Yuma. "Yuma! I'm so happy to see you again! I really thought I'd never see you again. Oh after those ninjas took you, I swore you'd be dead in a week! I'm so glad you weren't." she sobbed.

Yuma returned the hug and tears, "Same with you. I couldn't believe an evil person such as him would spare the life of a young girl. But you look just fine. If anything I should have been the one most worried."

They broke from the hug and Yuma got a good look at the girl's face. At that moment Yuma was ready to throw everything away, all his training, and everything he's worked for, for this one girl. No, not just a girl, but a princess now. And it was at that moment, that a much more powerful princess stumbled upon the two.

Clad in black, but with a large pink bun sticking out of the top of her hood, her fierce eyes looked displeased. "Yuma?"

Yuma almost shoved Mizki to the ground in shock, "Princess Nekomura!" he threw himself down and bowed profusely. "What is wrong?"

The young, but wise ninja princess answered back, "I should be asking you the same thing. This is Lord Kamui's daughter, is it not?"

"I-It is." Yuma replied, he couldn't lie to her.

"Excellent, take her head as well."

"What?!" Mizki answered, scrambling to retrieve her blade off the dark ground.

"That is the reason I came here. I was afraid you had been ambushed, for you did not answer to the shadow signals. The deed is done."

It was not until then that Yuma noticed the smell of smoke mixed with blood, and noticed that the room that was filled with dancing and joyous laughter was now dark, candles blown out.

"You...?"

Iroha snapped her fingers and another ninja appeared next to her, handing her a bag. She yanked the single item out and threw it down at Yuma and Mizki's feet. It was the head of a purple haired man.

"Father!" Mizki crouched down in tears and gingerly picked up the head. "You monsters!"

"Monsters she calls us now!" Iroha laughed, "Young girl, are you not aware that Japan will now be filled with peace with what we've done? Now, Yuma. Take her head, and make it quick. For I estimate in only about one minute, the palace will be in flames and soldiers will be marching out trying to find the assassins behind this."

Yuma drew his blade, Mizki was on the ground, still in tears over her father's death. Yuma hesitated, he did not wish to kill Mizki at all, for all those years he spent wondering if she was alive or not, he had locked something deep within his heart. The first day he met the ninja princess, she had taught him the first thing to do was to let go. To let go of anyone he might of loved, anything he cared for. 'It would make things easier.' she explained. It wasn't long before the curious boy asked the young princess Iroha why she never removed her ninja mask. It was then that she revealed what sealed his heart shut from any feelings, that the feelings he had for Mizki were locked in an iron safe, never to see the light of day again. For when she removed her mask, she revealed the ugly scars running from the edges of her mouth up to her ear. 'A cursed smile' he remembered her calling them. A smile given to her by none other then Lord Kamui when he killed her entire tribe when she was four years old. When he saw Mizki again, those feeling erupted out as feelings of a long lost love.

"Kill her now! Mutilate that bastard's daughter as he did to me!" Iroha screamed, her eyes full of rage.

"Just do it." Mizki murmured.

Yuma raised his blade, prepared to slice it through her neck. He sliced down, the blade cutting through the air as it neared her neck in a matter of millisecond. But at the last centimeter, as the blade just grazed the hair on Mizki's neck, Yuma threw it down.

"I'm sorry Princess Nekomura, but I can't kill her."

"What do you mean you can't kill her?! Imagine everything you've been training for since now! Fine, I'll do it myself."

"Princess!" the other ninja called.

The palace behind them exploded, being swallowed hole by the flames. There was no more time left.

"Fine. Yuma come on, there will be consequences later, but for the mean time we must get out of here!"

"Princess Mizki! Princess Mizki!" everyone could hear the soldiers call.

On a whim Mizki called back, "Over here! I'm over here!"

"Now Yuma!" Iroha commanded, moving her hands, signaling it was time to go, right now.

"I'm staying."

"What?!"

"I said I'm staying. You can't make me leave, but right now I must protect Mizki."

"I don't even know you anymore!" Iroha yelled. "Really, you're throwing everything away?!"

"For her, yes." Yuma looked down at Mizki, who was clenching the hem of his pants in fear.

"Fine." Iroha spat out, raising her blade to kill Yuma, who already knew too much.

"She's over here! I can see her!" the soldiers yelled, their footsteps growing closer.

"Princess, there's no time! We need to get you out of here." the other ninja said, grabbing Iroha.

"Psssh. Alright. The soldiers will kill him anyway." And as soon as she appeared, she vanished.

Mizki staggered up and collapsed into Yuma's arms. "Yuma, just let me stay like this for all eternity."

"I can not guarantee that. But I am willing to stay like this for the time being."

"What do you mean?"

"They will kill me."

"No." Mizki shook her head, "No, they won't."

"Yes, they will. I've disgraced my ninja clan anyway, I'm going to die either way."

"Yuma stop! Stop staying things like that."

"I'm sorry Kiki, but it's true."

"T-Then at least let me see your face." she choked through the tears.

Yuma nodded and removed his hood, revealing his face. Mizki was speechless. "You're beautiful."

Soldiers filled the scene, their shadows looking gigantic up against the burning building. They peeled Mizki away from Yuma, despite her screams and cries not to, and restrained Yuma. The captain pulled out his sword and stabbed it into Yuma's body. Everything was in slow motion, from the fall onto the ground to Mizki's ear splitting screams and cries over his approaching death. As Yuma bled out, he looked through the legs of the soldiers, trying to crank his head up to see Mizki's face when he died. Unfortunately but yet luckily, for him, he could not, and instead died looking at the face of a horrified purple haired servant girl hiding behind a rock a little ways down.

Little did he know that girl's name was Yukari Yuzuki.

I just wanted to thank everyone so much for commenting and reading my fic! I'm pretty sure I replied to all of the reviews, but since I'm very forgetful if I did not I'm so so so sorry and don't hesitate to tell me then! Because I really do love each and every review, like seriously, I burst into an explosion of happiness every time I see one. Same with favorites and subscriptions of course~ Thanks for reading!