SORA'S POV
Masamune stayed by my side as he comforted me while I sat on his lap crying my eyes out and soaking his kimono with my tears. I tried so hard to stop but, the memories of the past continued to haunt me no matter how hard I tried to forget about it. Masamune stroked my hair and then he asked me.
"Have you calmed down yet?"
"*Sniff..** I think so..." I said as I finally managed to calm down.
I wiped away the last of my tears and I looked away from him.
"Gomen...I feel so pathetic right now...and I'm supposed to be the strong and protective sister..."
"Hey, it's all right for you to admit that you're not as strong as you thought you were but, there's something I still don't get."
I looked at Masamune and he asked me.
"Why is it so hard for you to make new friends?"
"I already told you...Maria was my best friend and she was like a sister to me...I don't want to replace her..."
"No one is saying you should replace Maria, you can still remember her and make new friends but, that doesn't mean you have to build a wall around yourself and push people away from you when they're trying to help you."
Masamune gently cupped my face in his hands and he told me.
"Sora, if you keep hurting yourself like this you're gonna drain out your energy and starve yourself to death."
"I don't care...no matter how hard I try to sleep, the memories of the past haunt me every night...don't you get it..? I may have been a soldier before but, that girl died along with Maria...I was doing fine until I came here!"
I punched my fist onto the ground as I shouted in frustration.
"This place is nothing but filled with goddamn wars left and right!! every since that day with the Ronin! the night terrors get worse every single night! every time I try to sleep they keep haunting me!! I can still hear them! the gunfire! the yelling of my comrades dying! Maria's dying breath!! And I can still see myself covered in her blood!"
"Hey calm down!"
Masamune grabbed my wrist to stop me from punching the ground. I took a few shaky breaths and then Masamune's calm voice spoke up.
"It's all right, I know it was traumatic for you to see your friend dying in your arms but, things will get better for you."
"How can things be better?!" I yelled angrily with tears threatening to spill out of my eyes.
"I'm weak and pathetic..."
"That's not true and don't say things like that either, you're strong, you just know it yet."
Masamune gently placed my head against his chest and he stroked my hair.
"I'll see if I can get some incense to help you sleep peacefully and I'll make some proper food for you, eating rice balls for breakfast, lunch and dinner isn't enough to fill your stomach."
I didn't say anything as exhaustion started to catch up with me and I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer as sleep finally caught up to me.
MASAMUNE'S POV
"Sora?" I called out her after I told her what I was gonna do to help her.
However, she didn't say anything and that was when I noticed that she had fallen asleep. I smiled a little and I picked her up like a bride.
"Let's get you home," I whispered to her before carrying her back to the castle.
Once I got back, Mai and Hideyoshi greeted us and they were surprised when they saw Sora sleeping in my arms.
"Sora?" Mai called out to her but she didn't wake up.
"Wow, she's completely out of it, hang on, was she crying?"
Mai asked after noticing the dried tear stains on Sora's cheeks. I nodded my head and I told her.
"Yeah, the poor lass hasn't gotten over the trauma that she went through, no wonder she's always keeping her distance from us and biting our heads off."
"Well, I don't know what you did to help her sleep peacefully like this but, it looks like it worked."
Mai spoke with a smile on her face. Hideyoshi looked at me and he asked me.
"Something traumatized her? what was it?"
"It's not my place to tell you, anyway, I better get this girl to bed before she wakes up."
I said as I walked passed Hideyoshi and Mai. I got back to Sora's room and I carefully and gently placed her on the futon. I pulled the covers over her sleeping form and I gently stroked the top of her head.
"Nothing can hurt you anymore Sora and it's not your fault that your friend died, don't ever blame yourself like that again, you're never alone in this world."
I was about to leave until Sora grabbed my sleeve. My first thought was that she was awake but, it turns out she was still asleep and she mumbled.
"Don't...don't leave me..."
I can tell from the expression on her face that she was about to have a bad dream so, I held her hand and I stayed by her bedside until the bad dreams were gone.
THE NEXT DAY...
SORA'S POV
"Sora? Sora?" Mai called out to me.
I groaned a little and I slowly opened my eyes. I sat up and I stretched a little.
"Finally, it's about time you woke up," Mai said to me but, it didn't sound like she was annoyed, she sounded...relieved?
I looked around and I noticed that I was back in my room.
"I'm in my room...? how'd I get back here?"
"You don't remember? Masamune brought you back and you were fast asleep."
"I was? and Masamune brought me back here?"
"Yeah, I came to check up on you a few times and you hadn't woken up until now. Believe it or not, you slept pretty much all day."
I looked out of my window and she was right, it was now in the afternoon.
"I slept that long? I guess that means the nightmares didn't came to me last night."
"Maybe that's because Masamune stayed by your side all night until those nightmares weren't bothering you."
"Masamune stayed by side?"
I was so surprised by this but, it does explain why I felt like I was at peace. I smiled a little and I thought to myself.
'Weird..when Masamune comforted me last night, I didn't think I'd feel safe the way he held me...but, doesn't mean I should let my guard down that easily...'
"I know what you're thinking, you're wondering 'is this why I felt safe and happy in my dreams?' or 'was I wrong about the warlords all along?'" Mai teased.
"Don't push it, Mai, just because I was finally able to get a decent sleep doesn't mean that I was wrong about Masamune and the others, I still think they're trouble."
I said as I got out bed and fixing my clothes and my hair. Mai giggled and she mumbled.
"There's that tsundere side again~"
"Mai, don't call me that."
"All right, Sora the Tsundere soldier, *giggle*"
"That's it!! get over here!" I shouted before chasing her.
"Kya! Sora-nee is mad!!"
Mai shouted before I chased her out of the room. I caught her in time and I tickled her sides.
"This outta teach you a lesson!"
"Hahahaha!! Sora stop it!!"
"Not until you apologize!" I spoke with a grin.
"Hahahahaha!! help! somebody! Sora, is gonna tickle me to death!"
"No one can hear your cries for help, silly sister."
"Hahahaha!! Sora! stop it! hahahaha!!"
"Do you give up?!" I asked her as I continued to tickle her.
"Hahahahaha!! okay! okay! I give up!! hahahaha!! I'm sorry!!"
I stopped tickling her sides and then Mai panted from laughing so much.
"There, that wasn't so hard now was it?"
"...You...are gonna pay for that..."
"Ha! I'm an ex-soldier, you can't catch this girl off guard," I spoke with a grin while ruffling her hair.
Mai smiled at me and she said to me.
"There's that smile."
"Hm?"
"That bright smile you used to have, it's finally back."
I was surprised at first and then I looked away from Mai.
"That's the first time you've smiled about something in a very long time Sora, if you ask me, being in the Sengoku does have it's good points after all."
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh you know, a certain One-Eyed Dragon was able to break down that wall that you built around yourself."
I blushed a little and I shouted
"Don't be ridiculous! there's nothing going on between me and that stupid dragon! I was showing weakness to him and it was very bad timing as well, so don't get any funny ideas!"
I said as I walked away from Mai. I sat down at the porch and I glanced at the afternoon sky.
'Maybe Mai's right...perhaps, I may have been wrong about the warlords after all...'
I thought back to when I first met them, I remembered how deadly and bloodthirsty they looked as they fought against the ronin and how Mai was put in harm's way. However, after seeing some of the warlords acting differently compared to that day, I realise now that they're not as dangerous as I thought they were.