THE FALLEN WARRIOR PART 11 (THE SORROWFUL END TO PEACEFUL LIVES)

"I need a favor please before I die." Remarked Aina as she clings to life.

"What is it?" Asked Kiyoshi as he drops to his knees, holding Aina's body in his hand.

Aina leans into Kiyoshi and whispers into his ear. "I need you to take me to my family before I die, please."

"Absolutely. It will be my pleasure." Replied Kiyoshi with a sorrowful smile on his face, whilst he picks up Aina in his arms carrying her to her family's resting place.

As Kiyoshi walks slowly to their destination, the sun quietly breaks the horizon of the earth's surface.

"Wow, our battle lasted the entire night. Amazing." Remarked Aina as she coughs and trembles in Kiyoshi's arms.

"You need to conserve your strength, please. We still have a decent way to go." Replied Kiyoshi as he hold on to Aina tightly while looking ahead.

Before Aina could reply, Kiyoshi remarks that he was sorry he couldn't save her and that she was dying and there was nothing he could do to save her. As the tears flow violently from his eyes and down his face onto his skin of Aina.

Aina laughs as she remarks how gently his tears were like raindrops on the morning of spring.

As Aina softly rested her left hand on Kiyoshi's chest, she asked why the young samurai were crying for an enemy who, just a few moments ago, was trying to kill him. She then asked him with a smile on her face for his name, to which he responded Kiyoshi.

"Kiyoshi, hmmm. How can a man with such a pure name and gentle soul be a samurai let alone one with a reputation as yours.?" Aina asked as she gently stroked Kiyoshi's cheeks with her hand.

"I guess, just like you, I was born into this life and I just accepted this, what I was meant to become nothing more, nothing less." Replied Kiyoshi as he looked down at Aina as her joyful expression became one of sorrow.

"I see. I guess destiny has a cruel way of bringing people together." Remarked Aina as her breaths became slower and deeper. As they continued on their way halfway through the forest, Aina let out a loud but brief scream of pain.

In shock, Kiyoshi looked to his horror to see Aina's body beginning to petrify, with her feet already turning to stone as the petrification slowly made its way up her body.

"What's happening to her? Asked Kiyoshi as he watches on helplessly.

"It's her payment for making a deal with a demon." Replied Lilly.

"What do you mean?" Asked Kiyoshi confused as to what was going on.

"When a human makes a deal with a demon, especially a high ranking one like Fukuji- Kuharibu. They also give up their souls to such demon which cause their body to turn to stone and break down into dust as their soul is consumed by hell itself.." Remarked Lilly as she manifest behind Kiyoshi.

"What! we have to do something to stop this now." Demanded Kiyoshi, but only Lilly could do is shake her head as there is nothing anyone could do for Aina at this point."

"It's ok Kiyoshi, I knew the price I was paying to have my revenge. Fukuji- Kuharibu was honest about it and it was my decision, and now it's time to pay." Remarked Aina as she smiled, reassuring Kiyoshi it was ok.

*FLASHBACK*

"You know if you agree to this, you will never see your family in the afterlife or ever again. Your soul will belong to me and the depths of hell forever." Remarked Fukuji- Kuharibu as he appears to Aina in her mind.

"I don't care. Those bastards killed my husband and my children. I will do anything to avenge them. My life, my soul, is nothing to give away for the chance to get back at the people of Uragiri." Replied Aina as rage and anger consumed her heart and mind, shaking the demon's hand and sealing the deal on their arrangement.

*FLASH BACK-ENDED*

With tears of pain and sorrow, Kiyoshi tightly grips Aina's tender body and takes off running, with Lilly following behind him. After several minutes of running, they arrived at Aina's old home. As they arrived at the home, Kiyoshi could notice that the petrification had already reached Aina's knees and growing fast. She signals to him to her family's gravesite, which is at the back of the home, and Kiyoshi and Lilly quickly move to the back of the house.

Without hesitation, they quickly arrive at the gravesite of Aina's family. Kiyoshi gently rests Aina on the ground, per her request, as both he and Lilly stand back as Aina crawls on the ground to the gravesite. With both her life turned to stone, Aina crawls on her hands slowly and steadily as the petrification made its way up her body. With petrification halfway up her body, she brings herself behind the tombstones of her husband and children, and with every last ounce of strength that she has, she pulls herself up onto the tombstones.

She gently lays her head on the side of her husband's tombstone, which was situated in the center of all the others. She stretches her arms covering the other tombstones as her arms turn to stone, locking them in places as she embraces the tombstone with an adoring hug.

As the petrification starts to cover her neck, she calls Kiyoshi over. Kiyoshi walks over and kneels in front of the tombstone face to face with Aina.

"I wanted to tell something before I die." Remarked Aina as her face slowly turns to stone.

"Tell me what it is." Replied Kiyoshi.

"I wanted to thank you for bringing me to my family. I wanted to thank you for saving me from myself. Lastly, I wish you find the life and happiness I found with Kenshin, even if it's just for a moment." with those last words Aina's body was completely overtaken with petrification turning her completely to stone.

Kiyoshi remained with his eyes closed as Lilly continuously call out to him. After a few moments, Kiyoshi stood up with eyes open and walked over to Lilly.

"What were you doing? I was calling you so many times, but you didn't answer me." Remarked Lilly, annoyed with Kiyoshi ignoring her.

"I was praying." Replied Kiyoshi to the shock of Lilly, whose mouth was left wide open in response to Kiyoshi's words.

"You praying what? I thought you believed the gods were selfish and users of men. What made you pray to them?" Shouted Lilly, trying to figure out Kiyoshi's thought pattern.

"I still do." Remarked Kiyoshi with an annoyed look on his face.

"So why, then, will you pray to them?" Replied Lilly, shouting at Kiyoshi as his thought pattern didn't make sense to her.

"It wasn't for me. It was for Aina. I thought, for once, those bastards will actually do something instead of taking credit for it. So I prayed that Aina will get to meet her family in the afterlife. I think she deserved that, at least after the life she had." Replied Kiyoshi with a sad look on his face as both he and Lilly look at the petrified Aina embracing her family's tombstones.

"Looks like they answered your prayers, Kiyo." Remarked Lilly with a smile on her face.

"What do you mean?" Asked Kiyoshi with a confused look on his face.

"After a human is turned to stone from making a deal with a demon with the first thirty to sixty seconds, they turn to dust but she hasn't, so it looks like to bastards above actually accepted and answered your prayers, Kiyo." Replied Lilly as they both look at Aina's body.

With a smile on his face, Kiyoshi collapses to the ground from exhaustion after his all-night battle with Aina. Lilly quickly runs over to Kiyoshi and places his head on her lap as Kiyoshi falls asleep.

"Sweet dreams Kiyo." Remarks Lilly as she gently kisses Kiyoshi on his forehead as the light from the sunrise softly hit them. Lilly plays with Kiyoshi's hair while she sings a soft melody to help him sleep.

"Thank you, samurai." Remarked Hama from a distance behind a tree in the forest as smiles look on at Lilly and Kiyoshi.

"Now they can rest in peace as a family. Thank you." cried Hama as she walks back to the town of Uragiri with tears running down her face.