1 Chapter One: Midnight Duel

"Another duel?" Hanabi asked Hayabusa.

Hayabusa lifted his head, his shadow piercing the dim moonlight which radiated over them. His dark blue eyes could only be seen through the armor the shadow ninjas were required to wear. He looked at the young Hanabi, and smirked. "When will you ever give up, Hanabi?" he asked, laughing.

His laugh pierced the pride in Hanabi's heart. She glared at him. "I have my best weapon with me, you foul idiot, and I'm sure I'll defeat you tonight," she said. Her hair was tied up in a bright red ribbon to keep it from itching on her back. The red attire she wore was her last; she had ruined every one of them.

"Seems like it," Hayabusa noted. He stood up, and took out the weapon he had always used. He aimed it at Hanabi.

Hanabi's pride was stabbed yet again when Hayabusa lashed his sharp bladed weapon at her, and she could only try to deflect it. His expert hands lashed her own weapon, and Hanabi lost grip of it, toppling it to the sand.

She tried to pick it up again, but she felt herself being dragged farther. She had always felt this. Hayabusa had controlled her shadow, influencing her body to follow its direction.

Hanabi struggled to rush for her weapon, silver and with the ancient teachings inscribed on its blade, a red ribbon tied to the pommel. But Hayabusa was quick, dragging her shadow farther and farther.

Hanabi attempted not to scream. She stood up, but her legs failed her and she splatted down again.

"Higanbana!" Hanabi whispered, knowing it wouldn't magically fly to her anyway. She felt stupid. She attempted to get up and fight, but Hayabusa lunged forward with his weapon.

He could never kill her, she knew. That never happened in their nightly duels. He could never. But Hanabi was panicking, and her hand flew up in the air and grabbed the blade of her opponent's weapon.

Hanabi hissed, almost crying out in pain. She brought her wounded hand down to her fish-net stockings, never letting the tears flow. She was determined never to let them anyway.

"Are you okay?" Hayabusa suddenly asked, dropping down to her side to look at her palm.

"I'm fine," Hanabi denied, shrugging it off.

"No, you aren't. Let me see."

Hayabusa grabbed her hand and peered at it. Hanabi gasped with the sudden contact, and pulled it away from the opponent.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped sharply. "And do NOT do the shadow controlling again!"

Hayabusa just did.

"HAYABUSA! YOU MANIPULATIVE - "

"Shhh...remember the Punishment," Hayabusa warned. Hanabi could see, in those dark blue eyes, the warning and in the voice the tone of caution, so she stopped speaking.

Hanabi remembered that anyone of Scarlet Shadow blood who connected with the Shadow Controllers were to be punished by being tied to the Scarlet Pillar, obviously a tall scarlet-colored pillar with chains to keep the victim from moving or attempting to escape, and whipped with the Elders' Discipline by the leader of the clan. She remembered the time she was whipped hard and harsh for punishment for meeting Hayabusa, who was a Shadow Controller.

There was no age exception for the Punishment. So at age eleven, the age Hanabi and Hayabusa were currently, both were whipped.

Hanabi then nodded obediently, trying to deny the fact that her heart was pounding so hard she heard it in her own ears.

Hayabusa pressed the cut with his thumb, letting blood flow from it, and Hanabi seethed between her teeth, eyes closed.

"In order to heal, one must hurt and experience pain," Hayabusa quoted the Elders. He pressed it harder, and Hanabi whimpered softly.

After a minute, Hayabusa removed his hand, and placed her hand on her lap. Hanabi murmured the Protection of the Scarlet Shadows upon her. She sighed, and her hand reached up to her cheek. Dried blood was lined there. She brought it back down.

"Tomorrow then, midnight again, go unnoticed," Hayabusa said, before leaving.