Was I taken prisoner? I failed? Some magic? Whatever happened?

I bring my blade closer to the weak man's throat. It was probably this dangerous Veranian girl that knocked me out. But they were careless, not restraining me.

"Err... Kaede, I am sorry if you're mad, but surely we can talk about this?" My audacious prisoner talks.

What is he on about?! How does he know my name!?

"I do not know who you are, but you will both stay very still, yes?" I almost growl.

Strangely, the man sighs, as if depressed, rather than scared. The girl looks surprised.

"I'm moving not Kae-chan. Sword please away stash. Much foolishness. Head of yours broken. Calming down!" The girl says, her Jezzathan rather odd.

Whatever is she on about? These people must have somehow tricked me. I need to escape.

I yank the man over to the window. For some reason, my head aches and my body feels strange, being close to this man. I hate it.

What is going on?

Suddenly, the door bursts open, and a silver haired girl holding a black steel spear appears.

"Elijah! Are you...!"

"Kaede, what in Sendervil's name are doing!?" She shouts.

Why!? More reinforcements? How do they know? I barely made a sound? I never said my name! This... I need to...

I throw the man forwards, and backflip out the window, catching the nearby roof, bounding away.

I jump and jump and jump without thinking. Thinking is dangerous. Escape!

Eventually, I stop to catch my breath. My blood is pumping furiously, but I appear to have evaded pursuit.

Where am I?

White towers? This... isn't this Hal-Castemour? How did I end up here? My last job was the capital.

What day is it? It's dark out now. It was light the last I remember.

My head hurts. I can't think.

I seem to have subconsciously gravitated to the slums. To an abandoned clock or bell tower of some description.

A low place for a low person.

I snicker to myself.

But then I sigh. I'm still no closer to figuring anything out at all.

Who was I sent to kill?

No... let's start with more basic information.

Yes... I am certainly Kaede Murasaki.

I am a thirteen-year old girl this year.

I am an assassin of the village of Murasaki. A ninja. A professional killer trained by Jubei Murasaki.

I have suffered some degree of memory loss. So... trauma.

I strip myself down to nakedness, and check myself over.

My body is slender and in fine condition. In fact, if anything, I am more fit than I recall. Well-fed. I have apparently started a growth spurt in several places. I suppose it was inevitable.

No bruises. Or crusted blood. My head is fine.

Not physical trauma, then.

So, it confirms something of a magical nature?

But something just isn't right. Why capture me and not interrogate me? Not restrain me? Nothing.

It suggests the only sensible thing, is that I was there of my own free will.

The fact they appeared to know me. That I had clearly given my name.

Magical control... like a puppet?

A terrifying concept. But wrong. It is not something the spirits do. There is no such jutsu either. No nothing.

So... I have committed an error then.

For some reason, insane as it may be, I have snubbed some people who were comrades.

I am shaking. Right... it is rather cold. I start to re-dress.

And then, because of my shivers, I drop one of my stashes of weapons that I normally secure to my midriff.

A few kunai drop out. And something else.

What is this?

A vial with white powder. Yivenbark scrapings? Why would I carry...

Nii-sama.

What!?

I drop the vial and recoil from it, slamming up against the wall, still only in my underwear and socks.

It tings, and rolls away. I watch it like it may attack me any second.

It rolls to a stop next to a large patch of dried blood.

I look up. This was a serious arc of blood. A bisection or beheading?

I did that.

Oh gods. Why here!? Why did I come here of all places?!?

I crouch into a foetal position and start to cry furiously, the warm tears pouring down my bare chest and knees.

Nii-sama. The girls. The demon woman I killed. The budding love I felt. The destroyed village. Master Jubei's body. The assassination of Marcus Hampton. The day I left.

A blade cannot choose to save the life of another.

It all comes back. It was actually never gone.

I start to squirm. Feeling hot from a blush and feverish.

He wanted me. He wanted me as a lover. And even though I would need to share, I still wanted him.

But it made me sick. I started to think like a normal, idiotic, lovestruck girl.

And suddenly all the dead came back to me at once. I couldn't take it.

So back I went, to over three months ago.

I sit and continue to cry, half-naked in the night.