Cherry Blossoms
Disclaimer- To those of you who think I own Digimon- well. I don't! - I wish I did because then I wouldn't have to work my ass off to pay for college. But I don't. All I own is a bunch of junk, debts up to wazoo and a pretty blue GEO Tracker :)
This story is an attempt at creating an Ancient Japanese TAIORA story. I didn't really research this stuff too much, so if I got things messed up- oh well. But anyway this story's time period is ancient Japan before the European colonization era. There maybe a little bit of Americanized Japanese generalizations- but hey, it's my story. Enjoy!
PS: Tai , Matt and Sora are approx 18ish.
PPS: I have nothing against Matt- but he is so easily made the bad guy- I couldn't resist
The cherry blossoms were blooming on the main island of Honshu. It was spring in Japan and the natural beauty was in full view. But to one particular boy all nature's glory was lost as he stared off into the distance. He rode his white horse, along with an escort of royal guards. The crest of the emperor was proudly displayed for all to see. This boy, Tachi, was the only son of the emperor.
Presently he was on a journey across his father's empire, checking to see if the preparations for the big celebration were in place. It was the 15th anniversary of his father's coming into power and the defeat of the evil dark shogun and his powerful daimyos. The Kamiya Shogunate had brought prosperity to the land. The once scorched earth had sprung forth with abundance now. However, things were not always so wonderful, even with a noble and righteous leader as Tai's father was, the appointed daimyos often grew corrupt and selfish. Tai knew nothing about these problems, nor did he care. His father had appointed him this boring task, which almost done. Tai was glad to be almost home. If he saw another play being rehearsed or another banner being hung he would go mad. To him this was a waste of his time. He cared not for the commoners of Japan, or for his job at the moment. He would much rather be off fighting or training with his friends.
"Your highness." A guard spoke. "This is our last stop. The town of Fuji."
"Fine, Fine." Tai said unimpressed at the view of Mt. Fuji the village had.
"Shall we take lodgings here?" The same man questioned.
"Yes, I want to see this mountain later, so we can spend the night here as well." Tai replied.
The group stopped and took lodgings with the local daimyo. Tai did not want to sit and talk politics with them so he ventured out into the town. He left most of his royal robes behind, and blended into the crowds.
Not far from the daimyo's residence was a secluded park area. It was away from the bustle of the traditional Japanese houses. There was even a small brook that peacefully ran through it and off towards the great lofty mountain. The green grass was soft to the touch and the majestic cherry trees swayed with the gentle wind. For some reason Tai felt drawn to this haven. He had always liked being outdoors, but it was the first time in his life he felt relaxed and at peace because of nature. He scanned the area for others, but found none. Then he heard a faint humming. The sweet sound sent shivers down Tai's spine. He searched for the source of the harmonic tune. Suddenly a creamy colored leg began to swing back and forth from with in a tree. Tai stayed ever so quiet, as he heard the hum turn into an angelic voice. Tai was frozen by the heavenly voice. Within an instant the bearer of the voice slipped off her perch in the tree.
'She's a goddess.' Tai thought to himself. Her auburn hair was delicately folded up and tied in a time-honored Japanese bun. A single cherry blossom floated amongst her silky strands. Her face was alive with light as she smiled as she looked down into the brook. Tai couldn't breath; he was standing behind a tree concealing him from the girl. Never before had any creature made him feel this way. He had hundreds of girls wanting to be with him, but none of them had made his heart ache like this one.
A weak cry for help from afar made the girl quickly stood up and rushed off into the distance. Tai followed at a distance. She ran swiftly dodging the branches and brush. When Tai caught up, he ducked behind a bush. Four older boys were crowding around a small girl. The child was at her knees crying. She was not even half their size. As the boys laughed, Tai saw the girl clutching a small doll. The head was ripped from its body, the stuffing exposed.
"I knew it!" The angel's voice said as she walked closer to the boys.
"Well, well. If it isn't Sora Takenouchi." The oldest and biggest of the boys snickered.
"Don't you get tired of me beating the crap out of you guys?" Sora laughed at him.
"This time we're going to win!" He boys snarled back as he spit in her direction. His friends gathered around their leader. Sora pulled a sword sheath out from under a robe and slowly exposed the glittering curved blade. It was a blade of a shogun warrior. Somehow it seemed to fit the girl, and she waved it in the air as if it was like a limb of her body. Once the boys saw her blade, they took out theirs.
"You are skilled with the blade, Sora. But what about the art of hand to hand combat?" Even though Sora was smaller than the boys, she turned her sword blade to the ground. Powerfully she thrust it into the soft earth. She then removed her sheath from around her slender waist. And began to unwrap part of her dress to reveal she really wore pants. She threw the cloth near her sword and took a fighting stance.
"Your wife is full of surprises." A boy smirked as he realized she was accepting their challenge.
"I'd rather die than marry an arrogant son of a corrupt daimyo like you!" She hissed back.
"That can be arranged." The leader laughed as he set his sword down. He then proceeded to throw the first punch. Sora dodged it easily. At first she only blocked his moves, but now a fire grew with in her. She passionately threw volley after volley. The boy was in trouble as all of her punches hit him. Tai was watching with joy. He had never seen a girl fight so skilled. 'Who trained her?' He found himself asking.
With a swift and agile movement of her foot the leader of the boys was shot backwards. The other three boys came up to defend their leader. Tai knew she needed help. He got up and quickly rushed out. But before he could even make it close to the boys, she swiftly dropped all three with one blow. Not even noticing the boy who had come to her aid. The leader was now up again, sword in hand. She looked confused as he ran the blade across her perfectly shaped neck.
"You bring dishonor to your family!" She hissed once again.
"Hey, now- just put it down." Tai said as he walked towards the boy with the sword.
"Who the hell are you? And mind your own business." The boy directed to Tai. He quickly pulled his blade from her cheek. Leaving a small wound bleeding across her white skin. He now pointed the blade at Tai. Sora took this opportunity to somersault backwards, and made a dash to get her sword. The boy's attention returned to her, as he saw her going for her weapon. He ran after her, but she was too fast and quickly picked up the blade. Tai stayed still as he watched the fighters duel it out. Sora was definitely the best fighter Tai had seen, she wasn't even trying and yet she was beating the boy. His blade dropped to the ground. She ran her blade seductively on the boy's throat. She was playing with his mind, all Tai could do was chuckle. The other boys had witnessed this and ran off.
"You have been dishonored- take your cowardly self out of my sight! And if you ever so much as hurt another little girl… Son of a Daimyo or not- I will hunt you down and kill you!" Her face was even more beautiful when provoked like this, Tai thought. The boy was released from her blade and he ran. She stood there and sighed.
The crying girl had begun to wail even louder now, as she looked at her headless doll. Sora went to her and cradled her. Tai was seeing the exact opposite of what he had just witnessed from her- tenderness. Sora picked up both parts of the doll. She reached into her hair and took out the clips that held her hair up. She used the pins to tack the head of the doll back on to its body.
"Now have your mommy sew it back on. OK?" She said in a compassionate voice. The child stopped crying and hugged Sora tightly and placed a kiss on her cheek that wasn't bloody. The girl took the doll and skipped off happily.
Sora sighed once again as she stood up. She walked over to the place where her sheath lie. Still not looking at the boy who was standing frozen in shock. She picked up her sheath and wrapped it tightly at her waist. She bent over and picked up her discarded wrap. "I won't kill you, so you can stop staring at me." She said as she turned to look at Tai. She then began to stroll back to her tree. She once again looked down at her reflection in the peaceful brook. The wound had stopped bleeding now. She dipped her lovely hands into the cold water and began to wash her wound. Tai had followed her silently, and watched awestruck as the crystal clear droplets dripped off her face.
"Why are you staring at me? And why have you been following me?" She finally questioned him. She stood up and began to scan his face for answers.
"Who are you? Who trained you…? Are you for real?" Tai asked out loud.
"I asked you first." She said stubbornly as she began to rewrap the cloth around her waist to hide the pants. She was now back in the traditional silken kimono attire. Her shimmering locks blew gently with the wind.
"I have never seen anyone like you." He started. "I just couldn't help but follow you. My body just moved." He blushed, 'great Tai you sound like a freckin' stalker here.' he said to himself. "You are a very skilled fighter."
"Fair enough." She said, seeing he was getting uncomfortable. "I am Takenouchi, Sora." She bowed respectfully.
"I'm Ka..chai, Taichi." He said, not wanting to reveal his real name. "Takenouchi? Hey- your father was the great Takenouchi Shogun that aided the emperor in the war against the evil shoguns." She nodded. "Does he train you?"
Sora's eyes became sad. "Did, he did train me. He can't anymore." Her voice trailed off.
"What happened?"
"War, that's what happened. He risked his life for some corrupt emperor, was almost killed. He now limps because of the wound he received for bringing honor to his family." She was getting mad at thinking about the incident. "He can hardly pick up his blade, it keeps getting worse every year that passes."
"I'm sorry." Tai said.
"I see you work for the emperor." She said as she pointed to Tai's belt that had the crest of the emperor on it. Tai felt uneasy about letting her know he was the prince, himself. 'It might make her act differently around me.' he thought. He liked her stubborn personality. It was refreshing to him. And he found it to be quite attractive as she cautiously answered his questions.
"I'm surveying the country side to see if all the preparations are done for the celebration."
"That would be fun to travel." She jumped back into her tree and began to daydream. Tai sat down near the base of the tree. "You'd get to see all the wildlife just springing back to life. Awakening and refreshed from it's slumber." Tai could see she loved nature. It was her one escape from her monotonous world. Tai never really realized how mesmerizing nature could be. As he looked up at Sora, who was happily smelling the cherry blossoms. He blinked and now saw how beautiful nature really was. "The soft wind caressing your face, the bird's greeting you on your journey." She continued. For the first time Tai's eyes were opened. He stared at her as she closed her eyes and envisioned the scene in her tree.
Tai wanted to stay there forever. But in the distance he heard the guards calling his name.
"I have to go." He said as he looked at her. She opened her sparkling eyes. He got lost in them for a moment. "Will I ever see you again?" He whispered to her.
"I'm always here." She replied. "If you want to join me, you are welcome to. If I'm not here, I'm then usually working at home."
He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He waved as he walked back to the guards and out of sight.
Sora sat in her tree and meditated as she watched the sun sink behind the horizon. She knew her mother would yell at her for fighting with those boys again, but she didn't care. She hated her mother. Well, maybe she just hated the role of women in her world. She felt more comfortable with a sword in hand, than a needle or paint on her face. Her father always loved to bring her along when she was young and she would watch him practice. To him she was just as good as any boy. She loved her father more than anything else in the world. He was the only thing keeping her at home, she thought.
She smiled when she thought of him. Soon the sun was gone. And she once again slid out of her tree and walked home. As she did the image of the boy she had met popped in her head. 'Taichi,' she said. He was a very strange person, and yet, she wanted to see him again. He was different; somehow he made her stomach feel quezy. Usually most boys would try to court her, or pick fights. She hated them. She had turned down every suitor her mother had lined up, 'they just wanted to marry into her family because of her father.' She thought. Her father wanted Sora to be happy, and so he allowed her to choose her partner. But Sora hated the thought of marriage. "Love is for the weak.' she would tell herself. But something about this boy.. was different.
Disclaimer- To those of you who think I own Digimon- well. I don't! - I wish I did because then I wouldn't have to work my ass off to pay for college. But I don't. All I own is a bunch of junk, debts up to wazoo and a pretty blue GEO Tracker :)
This story is an attempt at creating an Ancient Japanese TAIORA story. I didn't really research this stuff too much, so if I got things messed up- oh well. But anyway this story's time period is ancient Japan before the European colonization era. There maybe a little bit of Americanized Japanese generalizations- but hey, it's my story. Enjoy!
PS: Tai , Matt and Sora are approx 18ish.
PPS: I have nothing against Matt- but he is so easily made the bad guy- I couldn't resist
The cherry blossoms were blooming on the main island of Honshu. It was spring in Japan and the natural beauty was in full view. But to one particular boy all nature's glory was lost as he stared off into the distance. He rode his white horse, along with an escort of royal guards. The crest of the emperor was proudly displayed for all to see. This boy, Tachi, was the only son of the emperor.
Presently he was on a journey across his father's empire, checking to see if the preparations for the big celebration were in place. It was the 15th anniversary of his father's coming into power and the defeat of the evil dark shogun and his powerful daimyos. The Kamiya Shogunate had brought prosperity to the land. The once scorched earth had sprung forth with abundance now. However, things were not always so wonderful, even with a noble and righteous leader as Tai's father was, the appointed daimyos often grew corrupt and selfish. Tai knew nothing about these problems, nor did he care. His father had appointed him this boring task, which almost done. Tai was glad to be almost home. If he saw another play being rehearsed or another banner being hung he would go mad. To him this was a waste of his time. He cared not for the commoners of Japan, or for his job at the moment. He would much rather be off fighting or training with his friends.
"Your highness." A guard spoke. "This is our last stop. The town of Fuji."
"Fine, Fine." Tai said unimpressed at the view of Mt. Fuji the village had.
"Shall we take lodgings here?" The same man questioned.
"Yes, I want to see this mountain later, so we can spend the night here as well." Tai replied.
The group stopped and took lodgings with the local daimyo. Tai did not want to sit and talk politics with them so he ventured out into the town. He left most of his royal robes behind, and blended into the crowds.
Not far from the daimyo's residence was a secluded park area. It was away from the bustle of the traditional Japanese houses. There was even a small brook that peacefully ran through it and off towards the great lofty mountain. The green grass was soft to the touch and the majestic cherry trees swayed with the gentle wind. For some reason Tai felt drawn to this haven. He had always liked being outdoors, but it was the first time in his life he felt relaxed and at peace because of nature. He scanned the area for others, but found none. Then he heard a faint humming. The sweet sound sent shivers down Tai's spine. He searched for the source of the harmonic tune. Suddenly a creamy colored leg began to swing back and forth from with in a tree. Tai stayed ever so quiet, as he heard the hum turn into an angelic voice. Tai was frozen by the heavenly voice. Within an instant the bearer of the voice slipped off her perch in the tree.
'She's a goddess.' Tai thought to himself. Her auburn hair was delicately folded up and tied in a time-honored Japanese bun. A single cherry blossom floated amongst her silky strands. Her face was alive with light as she smiled as she looked down into the brook. Tai couldn't breath; he was standing behind a tree concealing him from the girl. Never before had any creature made him feel this way. He had hundreds of girls wanting to be with him, but none of them had made his heart ache like this one.
A weak cry for help from afar made the girl quickly stood up and rushed off into the distance. Tai followed at a distance. She ran swiftly dodging the branches and brush. When Tai caught up, he ducked behind a bush. Four older boys were crowding around a small girl. The child was at her knees crying. She was not even half their size. As the boys laughed, Tai saw the girl clutching a small doll. The head was ripped from its body, the stuffing exposed.
"I knew it!" The angel's voice said as she walked closer to the boys.
"Well, well. If it isn't Sora Takenouchi." The oldest and biggest of the boys snickered.
"Don't you get tired of me beating the crap out of you guys?" Sora laughed at him.
"This time we're going to win!" He boys snarled back as he spit in her direction. His friends gathered around their leader. Sora pulled a sword sheath out from under a robe and slowly exposed the glittering curved blade. It was a blade of a shogun warrior. Somehow it seemed to fit the girl, and she waved it in the air as if it was like a limb of her body. Once the boys saw her blade, they took out theirs.
"You are skilled with the blade, Sora. But what about the art of hand to hand combat?" Even though Sora was smaller than the boys, she turned her sword blade to the ground. Powerfully she thrust it into the soft earth. She then removed her sheath from around her slender waist. And began to unwrap part of her dress to reveal she really wore pants. She threw the cloth near her sword and took a fighting stance.
"Your wife is full of surprises." A boy smirked as he realized she was accepting their challenge.
"I'd rather die than marry an arrogant son of a corrupt daimyo like you!" She hissed back.
"That can be arranged." The leader laughed as he set his sword down. He then proceeded to throw the first punch. Sora dodged it easily. At first she only blocked his moves, but now a fire grew with in her. She passionately threw volley after volley. The boy was in trouble as all of her punches hit him. Tai was watching with joy. He had never seen a girl fight so skilled. 'Who trained her?' He found himself asking.
With a swift and agile movement of her foot the leader of the boys was shot backwards. The other three boys came up to defend their leader. Tai knew she needed help. He got up and quickly rushed out. But before he could even make it close to the boys, she swiftly dropped all three with one blow. Not even noticing the boy who had come to her aid. The leader was now up again, sword in hand. She looked confused as he ran the blade across her perfectly shaped neck.
"You bring dishonor to your family!" She hissed once again.
"Hey, now- just put it down." Tai said as he walked towards the boy with the sword.
"Who the hell are you? And mind your own business." The boy directed to Tai. He quickly pulled his blade from her cheek. Leaving a small wound bleeding across her white skin. He now pointed the blade at Tai. Sora took this opportunity to somersault backwards, and made a dash to get her sword. The boy's attention returned to her, as he saw her going for her weapon. He ran after her, but she was too fast and quickly picked up the blade. Tai stayed still as he watched the fighters duel it out. Sora was definitely the best fighter Tai had seen, she wasn't even trying and yet she was beating the boy. His blade dropped to the ground. She ran her blade seductively on the boy's throat. She was playing with his mind, all Tai could do was chuckle. The other boys had witnessed this and ran off.
"You have been dishonored- take your cowardly self out of my sight! And if you ever so much as hurt another little girl… Son of a Daimyo or not- I will hunt you down and kill you!" Her face was even more beautiful when provoked like this, Tai thought. The boy was released from her blade and he ran. She stood there and sighed.
The crying girl had begun to wail even louder now, as she looked at her headless doll. Sora went to her and cradled her. Tai was seeing the exact opposite of what he had just witnessed from her- tenderness. Sora picked up both parts of the doll. She reached into her hair and took out the clips that held her hair up. She used the pins to tack the head of the doll back on to its body.
"Now have your mommy sew it back on. OK?" She said in a compassionate voice. The child stopped crying and hugged Sora tightly and placed a kiss on her cheek that wasn't bloody. The girl took the doll and skipped off happily.
Sora sighed once again as she stood up. She walked over to the place where her sheath lie. Still not looking at the boy who was standing frozen in shock. She picked up her sheath and wrapped it tightly at her waist. She bent over and picked up her discarded wrap. "I won't kill you, so you can stop staring at me." She said as she turned to look at Tai. She then began to stroll back to her tree. She once again looked down at her reflection in the peaceful brook. The wound had stopped bleeding now. She dipped her lovely hands into the cold water and began to wash her wound. Tai had followed her silently, and watched awestruck as the crystal clear droplets dripped off her face.
"Why are you staring at me? And why have you been following me?" She finally questioned him. She stood up and began to scan his face for answers.
"Who are you? Who trained you…? Are you for real?" Tai asked out loud.
"I asked you first." She said stubbornly as she began to rewrap the cloth around her waist to hide the pants. She was now back in the traditional silken kimono attire. Her shimmering locks blew gently with the wind.
"I have never seen anyone like you." He started. "I just couldn't help but follow you. My body just moved." He blushed, 'great Tai you sound like a freckin' stalker here.' he said to himself. "You are a very skilled fighter."
"Fair enough." She said, seeing he was getting uncomfortable. "I am Takenouchi, Sora." She bowed respectfully.
"I'm Ka..chai, Taichi." He said, not wanting to reveal his real name. "Takenouchi? Hey- your father was the great Takenouchi Shogun that aided the emperor in the war against the evil shoguns." She nodded. "Does he train you?"
Sora's eyes became sad. "Did, he did train me. He can't anymore." Her voice trailed off.
"What happened?"
"War, that's what happened. He risked his life for some corrupt emperor, was almost killed. He now limps because of the wound he received for bringing honor to his family." She was getting mad at thinking about the incident. "He can hardly pick up his blade, it keeps getting worse every year that passes."
"I'm sorry." Tai said.
"I see you work for the emperor." She said as she pointed to Tai's belt that had the crest of the emperor on it. Tai felt uneasy about letting her know he was the prince, himself. 'It might make her act differently around me.' he thought. He liked her stubborn personality. It was refreshing to him. And he found it to be quite attractive as she cautiously answered his questions.
"I'm surveying the country side to see if all the preparations are done for the celebration."
"That would be fun to travel." She jumped back into her tree and began to daydream. Tai sat down near the base of the tree. "You'd get to see all the wildlife just springing back to life. Awakening and refreshed from it's slumber." Tai could see she loved nature. It was her one escape from her monotonous world. Tai never really realized how mesmerizing nature could be. As he looked up at Sora, who was happily smelling the cherry blossoms. He blinked and now saw how beautiful nature really was. "The soft wind caressing your face, the bird's greeting you on your journey." She continued. For the first time Tai's eyes were opened. He stared at her as she closed her eyes and envisioned the scene in her tree.
Tai wanted to stay there forever. But in the distance he heard the guards calling his name.
"I have to go." He said as he looked at her. She opened her sparkling eyes. He got lost in them for a moment. "Will I ever see you again?" He whispered to her.
"I'm always here." She replied. "If you want to join me, you are welcome to. If I'm not here, I'm then usually working at home."
He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He waved as he walked back to the guards and out of sight.
Sora sat in her tree and meditated as she watched the sun sink behind the horizon. She knew her mother would yell at her for fighting with those boys again, but she didn't care. She hated her mother. Well, maybe she just hated the role of women in her world. She felt more comfortable with a sword in hand, than a needle or paint on her face. Her father always loved to bring her along when she was young and she would watch him practice. To him she was just as good as any boy. She loved her father more than anything else in the world. He was the only thing keeping her at home, she thought.
She smiled when she thought of him. Soon the sun was gone. And she once again slid out of her tree and walked home. As she did the image of the boy she had met popped in her head. 'Taichi,' she said. He was a very strange person, and yet, she wanted to see him again. He was different; somehow he made her stomach feel quezy. Usually most boys would try to court her, or pick fights. She hated them. She had turned down every suitor her mother had lined up, 'they just wanted to marry into her family because of her father.' She thought. Her father wanted Sora to be happy, and so he allowed her to choose her partner. But Sora hated the thought of marriage. "Love is for the weak.' she would tell herself. But something about this boy.. was different.