2397 – For 200 years, a New Warring States Era consumed the nation once known as Japan after nanomutagen weapons were unleashed across much of Asia.

2501 – Bringing their rivals to their knees, the Izumo Clan consolidated power, allowing the shogun to rule for a thousand years before betrayal ended her reign.

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SOFT PETALS from the gnarled cherry blossom branches encircling the revelers hung listless between the floating isles of the Ganymede garden park. The greenery topped islets of earth drifted serenely, gravitating to and from the many other occupied pleasure atolls like visiting boats on an endless river across the magnetic equator. In the low-gravity, the moon's winds stirred the pink petals to dance with a woman in light, silken yukata robes; their colors complimenting her laughter.

Bubbly and light, from the very moment he had met her, the sound of her voice had made his heart ache to be with her and none other. The day she became his wife and every day beyond was the epitome of bliss.

"Osuzu..." His voice was strong, clear, and adoring, he called her name.

Fine music and finer fruits sweetened the mood of the cyborg samurai and their families. Not in a century had the shogun's affirmation of her gratitude to her loyal samurai been so grand. Their swift, merciless strike against a building rebellion massing five times their own strength had dealt a devastating blow to the cowards and leeches who hid in the shadows of a great woman.

Raising a large strawberry, Osuzu playfully teased her beloved husband Zen'ichi with it, running it over his lips, daring him to bite into it, and pulling it away at the last second. He feigned shock, snapping at her hand intentionally, missing it by the narrowest of margins. She squealed in surprise and then giggled before she smashed it across his face – the juices, pulp, and seeds running down his cheek and chin.

Behind them on a nearby floating islet, Commander Asahi burst into laughter. The older man slapped his knee and tipped back his flat sakazuki saucer of sake. "Looks like she got the best of you, boy."

The good-natured Lady Asahi joined her husband's laughter with her own gentle voice. She bowed in deference to the Zenichi has he turned to look at them, but could not help but laugh harder seeing the mashed berry upon his face. This she had the good manners to hide behind the sleeve of her kimono though.

Zen'ichi blushed and returned the bow.

Osuzu's continued soft titter brought him back to the matter at hand. He narrowed his eyes at her. "You little vixen," and reached for her. Ready for him, she tumbled backward out of his reach.

They each leaped to their feet and locked eyes. He dropped his stance and center of gravity, readying himself to leap out to snatch her up. She did the same, mimicking his actions, taking up the lengths of her yukata in her hands.

A lascivious smile crossed his face. "You want to play, huh?"

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A feisty fire lit in her eyes, "You touch me, and the only one you're going to play with is yourself, Mister Samurai."

He leaped and she dodged. He leaped again and she kicked him in the backside after faking him out.

Doubling over, Asahi warned his underling, "I wouldn't... pull your sword on her, young man. She'll probably never let you sheath it again!"

The raucous double entendre caused the surrounding islets to burst with gaiety. While slightly at Zen'ichi's expense, it was good-natured, moreover, he was too engaged in jousting with his love to perceive any no ill-will behind it.

They both held their poses for an indeterminable time before he sprang forward to take her up in his arms. Having read his move, she spun passed him last minute. He turned to grab her from behind, but she was already working herself up into a run. He watched in awe as she vaulted high into the air using one of the cherry blossom tree roots as a stepping stone, her arms wheeling in an effort to power herself even further. With grace and skill, she landed on the next floating garden isle, disturbing the occupants as she did. But she didn't stop there, her laughter pealed across the gaps between the thousands of air isles as she sprinted off toward the next one.

"If it's a chase you want, it's a chase you shall have." The samurai stood, brushed himself off, and built up a run before throwing himself into the air after her.

From there lovers' laughter intermingled with surprised or angered cries, bellows, curses, or more laughter. Isle to isle, again and again, they thrust themselves into the void, feeling alive.

Zen'ichi pushed himself to catch her, but she was just always out of reach, and soon his breath became labored and his chest shrieked in pain.

The cherry blossoms with their soft pink petals gave way to the harsh, burning orange of laser fire and blood globules of the dying.

His kimono hardened into armor. Laughter soured into the screams of death of his comrades, and the music became the crackling of irradiated commsystem frequencies.

Yet, still she ran, giggling, beckoning him to follow, charging him to capture her, promising unspoken rewards if he did.

Explosions hurdled earth and forestry into the air, powerful lasers punched through men and women who had until that moment stood their ground for hours fighting back the armies of greedy lords who could not be satisfied with their subordinate roles to others. Reverse-allegiance shockwaves, forced-seppuku nanovirals, dismemberment cannons, spontaneous-combustion claymores, and alien artifacts with no explicable effects washed the battlefield in carnage.

And yet, she ran... and ran... and ran... her image glitching, fizzing, jumping, always just out of reach.

He pushed his cybernetic body to its limits to protect her, begging her to return to him.

"Osuzu... Come back. No. Not that way! Osuzu!"

His heart seized in his chest as the world exploded around them. He was tossed in the air time and again, pounded by unforgiving lasers that killed his systems one by one until he could no longer function properly. His body stiffened and he fell to the ground, a living statue.

The distance between them greatened.

"Stay with me..." He pleaded; voice swallowed by the rampage of death all around them. "Just a little longer..."

The core system keeping his brain alive began shutting down, darkening the world in agonizing gradients.

Muffled footsteps approached from above his recumbent form. Osuzu! His heart leapt and calmed as she positioned herself seiza, her legs beneath her in the formal style.

Together and yet so distant. Paralyzed save to speak, he gritted his teeth in frustration and heartbreak as he could not reach out to touch her.

She observed him without comment or criticism; the familiar soft upturn to the corners of her lips saying everything needed. He felt the sickening slow of his death reaching over him; his vision tunneling, pushing her away as his mind struggled to save himself from drowning. She drifted upward and away into a blinding light that vaporized her.

He roared at the sky as it washed him in death.