quietly left the room.

They crept into the bamboo forest, near the secret passage.

Now Yozora's heart was pounding with fear, it was painful.

"I'll check it out!" Whispered Tatsuro and got up.

Yozora held him by the sleeve, "Don't go!" Soe whispered pleadingly.

"Stay here. Please! Tatsuro!"

He smiled, leaned down and kissed her gently, it was a wild but deep kiss.

Yozora wasn't as scared as the first time, but still it was so strange!

"Everything will be fine, my shooting star!" He whispered to her and hugged her tightly.

Then he disappeared behind the bamboo and she was alone.

Yozora tried to stay calm, but she was so scared!

> What is happening ?! Hopefully nothing happens! <

She blamed herself for why did she let him go? They could both have disappeared!

While Yozora was worried, Tatsuro came back and Asahi-sensei was with him!

"Sensei!", Yozora shouted relieved and ran to them.

Asahi-sensei smiled and said, "Come on. I'll take you both to a safe place!"

Both nodded thanks and followed him through the secret passage.As Yozora crawled out to Asahi-sensei, she felt a cold blade on her neck.

> No! A trap! Tatsuro! Don't come out! <

She stepped into the corridor and the door slammed.

Yozora knew that it could only be opened from the outside, so yesterday they only left it ajar.

"Are you protecting a friend instead of yourself?" Asahi sneered.

"Sensei! What -", she was slapped in the middle of a sentence.

The group laughed at her horrified expression and pulled her to her feet.

> The rebels ?! But ... Asahi-sensei ..? <

Suddenly everything became clear to her, Asahi was a traitor! That's why he was the first in the restaurant

stormed out!

> Oh no! And he was my sensei! Yozora thought bitterly.

Asahi lifted her face and looked at her with a grin, "Yes ... I am the leader of the so-called rebels!

Arashi! "he said, looking down.

He laughed, "From today you will be my slave!"

> No! She tried to struggle to break free, but the men's grips were tight.

> Hopefully Tatsuro will not fall into this trap! <

The group went and took Yozora with them and was blindfolded.

Apparently they were in the sewer because it was getting damp.

Yozora was disgusted when she smelled the stench, but tried not to pull a face.

They ran like that for a while.

Suddenly no one was holding her and the blindfold was removed from her.

She was alone ... with Arashi!

Yozora was scared again and tried to hide it, but she stood alone in front of the leader of the

Rebels! The Emperor's Enemy!

He grinned mockingly and said, "You are a good swordsman. I will train you further. If

if you have mastered everything, you will be very useful to me! But for every mistake ... you will be punished by me! It would be

namely a waste to kill you! "

> Punished? What does he mean? Yozora thought, amazed, she had expected worse."You don't seem to take me seriously!" It wasn't a question but a statement.

Arashi grinned, "I'll teach you! You'll see!"

He pressed a bamboo sword into her hand like on the first day, "Fight!"

It was like a workout, but Yozora knew it wasn't a workout, it was a test!

They fought for five minutes when Arashi knocked the sword out of her hand.

The sword flew away in a high arc and fell with a clatter on the stone floor.

"That was a mistake," he said calmly, "You will be punished for that."

Yozora waited, trembling, slowly approaching her, "It's better to hurt you mentally than physically!"

he muttered conspiratorially.

"I know you love Takeru as much as he loves you! What will happen when he finds out his

Loved one has been kissed by someone else, a stranger? "

With that he leaned over and kissed her, his lips pressed against the trembling lips of

Yozora.

As they loosened, Yozora felt stained-

It wasn't as nice at all as Tatsuro!

> He stained my love! The only thing I could hold on to! Yozora thought bitterly

and fought her tears.

"That was a punishment. The next one will be even more tragic!"

It went on like that, and whenever Yozora made a mistake, the penalty got worse.

But Yozora not only had to practice sword fighting, she also had to work.

She had to make tea, cook food, and clean.

Plus a lot of other things, she always had something to do and was busy.

Four months passed.

Yorzora got enough to eat, but she ate little and without appetite, so it was that Yozora was getting thinner

Became leaner and leaner.

Sometimes Arashi made her eat more, but she couldn't get a bite.

> It's like being in a prison! But much, much worse! <

But this time she had to show courage, she wanted to be strong!> For Tatsuro! I want to see him again! I hope he is fine ...! <

Yozora had silently celebrated her own birthday two months ago, now the new year was approaching.

“Yozora!”, Arashi said to her two days before the New Year, “your sword fighting skills are now advanced.

From today you will learn the martial arts of the ninjas! "

She nodded, Yozora didn't dare to contradict because he was the master here.

Yozora felt as if she could no longer feel anything, no suffering, no joy ...

She only clung to her love for Tatsuro.

> I want out of here !! <

But she didn't come out, she didn't even see sunlight!

She only sat day in, day out in the large room, which was as large as the practice hall in the dojo.

Yozora felt so lonely!

Sometimes Arashi would tell of the rebels' plans and their victories against the emperor.

Yozora's heart ached when he talked about it, but she just listened and didn't argue.

> I hope Tatsuro hasn't given up on me! <

Again more than half a year passed and Yozora had already learned the ninja arts.

She moved artfully yet deadly, her fighting style resembling a dance of death.

She had never refused to do anything, she had the experience that it got very, very bad.

Once she refused and he had told her something incredibly terrible.

"The emperor is dead! I killed him!" He whispered in her ear.

She almost passed out at the time if Arashi hadn't slapped her.

Now she knew that she shouldn't contradict, maybe he would have more painful news!

Yozora made a lot less mistakes now, and she was very happy about that.

She preferred long swords or two short swords, but also a large shuriken and kunais.

She got ninja clothes and pinned her hair up so that it would not bother her.Yozora now had quick reflexes and moved like the wind, she jumped up and can move with lightning speed

dress up in another person and play.

By the time she mastered all of this, she was 18 years old.

> Three years ... I was held here for three years! she thought bitterly on her birthday.

That day Arashi came back with a woman, she was still half a child, but she was beautiful and

it will definitely get more beautiful over the years!

"This is Fuyu," the leader introduced the young geisha.

She bowed, "Nice to meet you, Yozora-san!"

Yozora also bowed and watched her appraisingly.

> Who is this woman? It is still a child !! <

Yozora decided to ignore her, because this geisha would only make her think of Mafuyu.

> If I wasn't here, I would have been looking for her a long time ago! <

It was evening, at least it seemed so to Yozora because she had no sense of time down here.

If she was tired, she slept, if not, she was awake or cleaning the room out of boredom.

Arashi had gone, leaving Fuyu alone with Yozora.

"Phew! Is it hot down here!" Sighed the young geisha and opened her yukata a little.

Then her chain appeared, a purple wing!

> No! <thought Yozora startled> That can't be Mafuyu! She ... She's with Arashi ?! <

She tried to calm down.

"You have a beautiful chain Fuyu-chan! It doesn't have to mean anything! There are many such chains!" She told herself, even if it was a lie.

"In some samurai dojo or ... dead," Fuyu replied coolly.

Yozora sat down slowly, "Why aren't you together?"

She smiled, "I'm glad I was sold to a geisha house! They say the rescuers will all be."

Kill samurai who don't join yours! They already raged in Kyoto. Poor Onee-chan! "> She smiles! She doesn't care what happens to her sister ?! It can't be Mafuyu! No!! Soe speaks

not and certainly not from '' rescuers ''! <

"Ah ... Tell me, what's your last name?" With this last question, Yozora wanted to create certainty.

"Tsuyu. My name was Tsuyu Mafuyu! Since I've been a true geisha, I'm only called Fuyu!"

Yozora froze> It's Mafuyu! How could she be like that ?! <

She just nodded, "A nice name!", She answered shortly and went quickly into the kitchen.

> It's Mafuyu! She is a true geisha! And Arashi's girlfriend !! <

Her heart was pounding, what should she do? After almost four years she sees her sister again and she was with them

Defected enemies! And then as a lover too!

"Yozora-san?", Fuyu's voice rang out, Yozora winced and quickly scooped water from the well.

"Yes?" She replied quickly and took two cups.

"Your name is very nice too! That was my sister's name too," she said and smiled sweetly.

Yozora forced a smile back, wondering how she could stay so calm.

> I just hope Tatsuro is fine! And that it wasn't - <she broke off the thought and shook

head in disbelief.

She mustn't think about that! It's too cruel!

Now Mafuyu lived with them too, Yozora moved to another corner of the room, further away from

Arashi and the young geisha.