Hi people-ings ... yes I have reared my ugly head again to submit the start of a new story.
Here's hoping in my long absence I haven't grown rusty and still know how to leave my chapters on a decent enough cliffy to convince you to keep reading *crosses her fingers and hopes like hell*
Most of all I hope you enjoy it!
(Explanations of any random Japanese words I have used are at the end) *sending mucho reader love~ *
WARNING: YAOI in later chapters along with some details of the ritual Seppuku (this chapter)
She was going to do it again… she was going to over-season the simplest of dishes and the men, thankfully, would eat it, smile politely and then knock back their saké with relief once she'd left the room. Sanji sat there lightly twirling his pipe between delicate pale fingers, tails swaying gently from side to side as he watched the young woman work. She tried her best and thankfully the men of the camp knew it… after all…they were lucky any women accompanied them to tend to their needs considering they were in the middle of a battle.
With a quiet grumble he watched as she reached right through him for another seasoning. He always found it disconcerting that people could reach through him when he was purposefully hiding his presence, though he supposed, that was the point. His ears twitched forward when he heard the sound of heavy boots on the compacted earth. He could tell from the faint smell of steel and saké it was that samurai again… the one this woman seemed to have a soft spot for…though why anyone would have a soft spot for that gruff man he would never know. As he had for the last few weeks he watched the man carefully as he walked in. Those dark eyes seemed to settle on him for a moment before his scowl deepened a fraction…then he went about his business.
Sanji was sure the solemn samurai was able to see him, how he could Sanji didn't know…but their eyes always met for a split second followed by that frown then complete indifference. It was the indifference that made Sanji doubt whether or not the man could see him. If he could see him why ignore the fact there seemed to be a Yokai wherever he went recently? Not that Sanji thought he'd been attached to this dull guy… he was sure he'd been sent to protect one of the ladies in this camp. With two or three women surrounded by all these coarse and battle hungry men he had to be here to look after one, if not all, of the delicate little flowers cursed with such uncouth company.
He looked back to what the young lady cooking was doing and felt his tails bristle. The rice was supposed to be clean, crisp and white in appearance… it looked almost brown it had been that over seasoned. Sanji could tell by the look of it that it was going to taste like you'd just stuck your tongue into the spice pot. He could see she was disappointed how the rice balls had come out too and rolled his eyes as he settled on his decision. Sliding off the edge of the counter Sanji took a breath and stood behind the woman. It always felt odd possessing someone. As he was about to pass into her consciousness a deep voice interrupted his concentration.
"Oi, Keimi, don't cause any mischief tonight Luffy's planning our final assault on the enemy, he wants to get back to Honnō-Ji as soon as possible – he's worried about Ace-san." The samurai said as he retrieved another bottle of saké.
The woman frowned and offered a confused smile over her shoulder, she never caused any mischief. Bowing slightly she continued with her work.
Sanji however, was still looking at the samurai as dark eyes seemed to bore into him. He was definitely looking at him, there was no mistaking it. The comment, though made as if addressing the woman, was really made to the blonde Yokai. He watched as the samurai rolled his eyes and walked away shaking his head muttering about stupid foxes.
Stupid foxes! Now Sanji knew for sure he could see him. Blue eyes narrowed as he decided the ignorant, dismissive, gruff and, from what he'd experienced so far, overly self-assured, green haired man was going to find out why you didn't ignore a Yokai… Especially not this one…
Calming himself a little Sanji concentrated on the task at hand – possessing the woman. Closing his eyes he let his consciousness pass into hers. Once there he carefully subdued her consciousness effectively putting it to sleep while he shifted about to get comfortable in this body. He always felt claustrophobic at first until his senses were all working right. Anyone on the outside would simply see Keimi shiver, blink a few times, shrug and carry on as normal.
Sanji had Keimi pick up the tray of rice balls and set them aside, he'd figure out a way of using them at a later date… perhaps he could break them down and use them to season something else. Flexing the young woman's hands to get used to the force needed to move and manipulate he set about cooking more rice moving around the makeshift kitchen as though he owned it. Soon he had a new tray of rice balls, all pristine white and perfectly shaped.
With a smirk Sanji-Keimi lifted the tray in one hand and walked confidently out of the shelter being used as a kitchen and headed for the tent the men were using as a meeting place to plan their next move.
"It won't be long now... we just need to keep pushing." Zoro was saying as he sat cross-legged to Luffy's right, studying a map with the rest of the men.
"We can be back with Ace soon then..." Luffy replied as he frowned down at the map. He'd hated leaving his brother in such a bad way, but the uprising of this clan had to be stopped as quickly as possible. As Ace had wisely pointed out Luffy's men were still relatively fresh having only joined their previous battle near its conclusion and would be able to take care of this small rebellion in no time.
Ace was fiercely loyal to his Daimyo who had been severely wounded in the last battle, how he'd survived nobody could guess, even his closest friend from the Daimyo's personal guard couldn't believe he'd been able to survive. The Daimyo had taken himself to Honnō-ji to recover believing he'd be safe there. Ace had sent a message to Luffy that intimated he was worried about the Daimyo's safety. If Ace was worried Luffy knew it was no small matter.
The second he'd finished with this rebellion he was going to join his Brother and together with the Daimyo they would make Japan the place they believed it should be.
"He'll be fine." Zoro said firmly, "He'll pull through, if anyone can it's him."
Luffy gave a grateful smile to the man who had been fighting alongside him the longest. He looked up as Keimi came in with a tray. Tilting his head could tell there was something different about her, but couldn't figure out what exactly it was. She seemed more confident... and there was no bumbling or nervous chatter like normal. When he saw what was on the tray he was pleasantly surprised to see that the rice balls actually looked like rice balls and not mud.
Noticing the head tilt Sanji remembered he was supposed to be acting like the cook girl. Delving into her memories he tried to find out how she addressed the man now eyeing up the food.
Whoa... that's not a thought I needed to see... Sanji thought as he accidentally stumbled on what Keimi liked about Luffy-chin. She likes far too many unsuitable men… Vaguely he wondered if Keimi really addressed Luffy as Luffy-chin, considering it was the only thing he had to go on he didn't have much choice. Though calling someone so high up such a familiar nickname seemed odd.
"Your food Luffy-chin." He had her bow and noticed the men either side reflexively reach out to steady the tray. She must be a bit clumsy... Sanji tipped the tray a little and the men steadied it.
"Ah, Keimi, for a second I thought you'd managed to get your balance." Luffy chuckled as he grinned up at her. "More rice I see." There was a faint hint of disappointment in the young man's eyes.
"Yes, there was nothing else to work with." Sanji-Keimi answered shortly before remembering who 'she' was. "Umm... I tried my very best Luffy-chin." Sanji had the girl blush brightly and cover her mouth as though realising she had made a gross slip in forgetting her manners.
Again Luffy grinned, "I know you always try your best Keimi-chan. I just wish I had some meat that's all." He shrugged before taking a rice ball and swallowing it down in one.
Sanji could see this meal would barely satisfy the man and wondered why no one had been hunting for meat. About to open the girl's mouth to ask, Sanji was interrupted.
"Yes Keimi... we know rice isn't going to fill Luffy. We know we should hunt... but you also know the woods are full of traps and the last men who went to hunt were slaughtered." Zoro said as though he was going over old ground, his eyes fixed on the girls.
Sanji-Keimi pouted at being pulled up by the green haired man. The Yokai got the distinct feeling that those dark eyes were looking far deeper than just at the girl's appearance.
"Luffy-Chin does need more than just rice."
"Are you saying you want to go out to hunt knowing how dangerous it is? If so be my guest." Zoro replied as he smirked at the girl. He knew very well what he was really talking to...but unless the fox spirit wanted suspicions raised it would have to stay quiet and stop pestering. The last thing Luffy needed right now was for a troublesome fox to be hanging around the camp.
Luffy looked between the pair. Keimi was being her usual anxious self as far as he was concerned; Zoro on the other hand was being particularly harsh today.
The samurai raised his brow when Keimi smirked.
"Perhaps if you were to come with me…" Sanji delved quickly into Keimi's memory for the man's name, "Zoro-san?" Sanji-Keimi suggested, "Maybe then I could provide Luffy-chin with enough food. If you are up to the challenge…?"
Luffy blinked, that was an out of character response for the mild mannered girl.
Other men in the shelter were beginning to look at Keimi in a strange way. At times like this people were always on edge for the slightest character changes… treachery wasn't beyond even the closest of family members if the right leverage was used. Seeing some of the more suspicious members of the group shifting nervously he growled quietly.
"I'm sick of rice anyway. Hunting will stop me getting bored. We'll be back soon." He bowed respectfully to Luffy and hastily dragged Keimi out of the shelter and to the makeshift kitchen.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at Fox? You're going to get this girl killed if you keep playing games like that. All it takes is for one of the men to think she's changed sides and she'll be dead quicker than you can shake your seven stupid tails." He snapped.
Calmly Sanji-Keimi removed Zoro's hand from her arm.
"You really should learn to control your temper… and learn some manners." She sniffed haughtily. "I wouldn't let them kill her. Perhaps if you weren't so rude to a Yokai you wouldn't be put into a situation like this… I knew you could see me."
"Come on your seven thousand years old! You can't be that dense." Zoro growled, "You might have saved her from getting killed, but there would be no way she would be able to return to everything she knew, you would have taken all of that away by having her branded as a traitor." He'd got right into Sanji-Keimi's face now, the anger clear in his eyes. "And so what if I can see you? Do you want me to talk to you while you're hiding yourself from everyone else? I'm not doing that, I'd be branded as crazy and like hell I'm going to do that for a stupid fox!"
"Hundred." Sanji corrected, "Its seven hundred, not thousand. The tail per thousand year thing is a myth." He snapped back moodily knowing that the man had a valid point. He'd put the girl in danger all because he wanted to be able to taunt this man for ignoring him.
"If you get her hurt while we hunt…" Zoro let his threatening tone trail off as he glared at the possessed girl. "Stupid fox."
Sanji had Keimi raising her hand before he realised what he was doing. Stupid fox was not something he usually tolerated. It seemed as if he was moving in slow motion as another swordsman came into view. If Keimi struck Zoro it would be seen as disrespect to a samurai and that never boded well for those not of samurai blood. The action turned from slap to grab as Sanji did the only thing he could think of and pulled Zoro in for a kiss. Keimi's heart fluttered in her chest, a reaction Sanji hadn't banked on as he found Zoro's lips far softer than he had imagined. It was odd sensing things through another's body.
Zoro stiffened and after a moment pulled back sharply, only to spin on his heel when he heard someone clear their throat.
"Ah… Sorry to interrupt. Luffy told me to come and see if you needed anyone else to go hunting with you."
It was Yosaku, which more than likely meant that Johnny was waiting just around the corner.
"No…No we won't need any help." Zoro said trying to gather his thoughts quickly. He'd been sure he was going to be slapped, but at the very last second he was pulled in for a kiss he didn't want. At least now he knew why… The fox was covering its actions.
"Oh, I get it… some alone time ne? Well we'll see you later then. Hope you catch something ainiki, we're all really hungry." Yosaku laughed and trotted back to join the rest of the men…and no doubt regale them with what he'd just seen.
"N...No! It's not that!" Zoro protested.
"Aww, Zoro-kun, please don't dismiss a poor girl's heart that way." Sanji had Keimi coo. He stifled the laughter he was dying to let loose when Zoro turned slowly to look at him, teeth grinding and fists clenched.
"Now, now Zoro-kun… Keimi-Chan is rather fond of you; you wouldn't want to upset her would you? I could be out of her body in less than the blink of an eye and you wouldn't have a clue. I wouldn't want to leave her while you're yelling at her…or worse yet, when you're mid hunt." Sanji taunted.
"Well I don't want her to be fond of me." Zoro snapped, "If the men weren't expecting me to hunt with her I'd…"
"You'd what?" Sanji asked, "I'm a seven tailed Kitsune. There really isn't much you could do to me."
"If she gets hurt on your head be it." Zoro snarled as he turned abruptly and stormed out of the camp.
"You're not very polite are you Marimo?" Sanji said as he led Keimi at an easy pace behind the storming swordsman.
"Not to something like you. Don't call me Marimo, Baka-fox." He turned to look at the possessed girl only to find the fox had her practically floating along behind him. He grabbed her wrist and jerked her back to the floor. "No funny business in camp you idiot."
"Now, now," Keimi's eyes narrowed before she pulled out of his grip, a leg quickly coming up, foot aimed right for Zoro's chin, "You should be polite to a lady Marimo."
Jerking back, eyes wide with surprise Zoro managed to block the kick with his forearm. "Stop it you stupid fox! If anyone see's Keimi do that they'll have her commit harakiri along with her closest friends and family."
"Please… I can sense your dense comrades easily now that I'm fully in control of her body… she seems to be far more pliant now she's had a taste of you…" Sanji chuckled, "Seems she's willing to go along for the ride just in case I can get her another taste."
It was nothing like that in reality. Keimi had no clue what was going on, a few physical reactions to the actions that Sanji took were still going to occur but for the most part Keimi was oblivious…he just liked messing with this guy.
"Like hell." He snapped, knocking the foot away with minimal force. "Let's get this done. The less time I have to spend with you the better and the sooner we get back the sooner you can leave Keimi alone."
Keimi's head tilted then another infuriating smirk curled her usually pleasantly smiling lips. "Is that concern I sense? Concern for the little lady you protest not to want fond of you?"
"Shut up fox and let's get the hunting finished before you get Keimi into trouble. I don't want her fond of me; I'm not attracted to her in that way. I just don't like people Luffy is fond of being made fools of." He settled his three swords more comfortably and checked his light armour was secure.
"Come to mention it… she's rather fond of that Luffy too…" Sanji mentioned as he inspected Keimi's nails.
"Most people are fond of him. Come on, keep up." Zoro said stepping out into the dusk and beginning to wind his way through the dense trees.
Sanji was able to keep up easily in Keimi's body. She was a healthy girl and her slight frame made her light on her feet. He was currently delving through her memories when he stumbled on one in particular that had him looking at the silent man in front as though he was crazed.
"You actually let someone almost slice you in half… What the hell are you?" Sanji asked, the words leaving the girls mouth before he'd realised he was saying it out loud.
Zoro stopped dead and turned to face Keimi's figure.
"How does she know about that?"
Keimi looked thoughtful as Sanji investigated further. "A man with a long nose told her." He replied with a shrug. "Why would you let someone do that to you?" He questioned further, "I know you samurai are happy to commit seppuku for the slightest sign of dishonour…but letting a guy almost slash you in half… You people really don't value life at all do you?"
"Usopp…" The name was grumbled quietly before a finger was raised and pointed in Sanji's direction. "It's none of your business. You don't know me, you don't know the situation and you certainly have no right to be delving around in someone's memories like that." Zoro made a move to continue but found he was grabbed and tugged to a stop. His protest was silenced when Sanji had Keimi point to a trip wire, along it and right up to a barbed branch that seemed set to swing down and skewer anyone unfortunate enough to trigger the trap.
"Firstly, be more careful. Secondly, I thought I'd use the opportunity to see who I was stuck with. Someone 'lost' apparently… I would bet it's one of the women lost and surrounded by you and your selection of brutes."
Stepping over the trip wire Zoro shook his head, "You mean we're stuck with your presence? That's just great." Zoro crouched and to look over some tracks…they were old and no use.
"I'm not exactly pleased to be stuck with someone like you for company either." He said in a bland tone. "Unfortunately for me Inari-Sama decided this was the best place for me… We do not question Inari-Sama." Seeing Zoro investigate the tracks Sanji sniffed at the air. "No animals have been around here since that trap was set."
It was surreal watching Keimi act like the fox possessing her. Her new body language made her seem so much more confident.
"Why don't you make yourself useful and tell me where I can find an animal. That way we don't have to spend as long with each other." Zoro huffed, glaring at the possessed girl.
"I find it amusing that I annoy you so much." Sanji said as he sniffed the air and moved forwards cautiously. "Not amusing enough to want to stay out here with you though. There is nobody around to embarrass you in front of."
Zoro watched Keimi move with a fluid grace he could only assume was the fox's, she never moved that way. He followed behind eyes peeled for more traps, though it seemed pointless since the fox was pointing them all out long before Zoro could spot them. When Keimi's hand was held up Zoro crouched along with her. A quiet snapping of twigs had Zoro looking just off to the right where a large stag was just coming into view from a thicket a little way back.
"You'd better move quickly, it'll catch our scent soon…" Sanji was just informing Zoro. Before he could finish his sentence Zoro had already leapt forward. Sanji was mildly surprised that the larger man could move so swiftly, the stag barely even had time to register the man driving a sword straight through its heart, killing it so quickly it didn't make a sound. Huh… perhaps a little of that self-assurance has a basis…
Zoro pulled the blade free and cleaned it on the thick grass underfoot before returning it to its saya. He picked up the large animal and settled it across his shoulders. As if carrying nothing Zoro made his way back to Sanji.
"Ready to go?" He asked watching the girl stand.
"Yes… I didn't quite expect that." Sanji admitted.
"I thought you'd delved about in her memories, she knows my skills with a sword so surely that shouldn't have surprised you… or do you only dig around for useless information?"
"It's not as entertaining if I look for the serious stuff first. Keimi-Chan thinks you're going to get yourself killed because you're too sure of your skills… I am tempted to agree." Sanji replied snippily.
"I'm not too sure of my skills. I'm just accepting of them. If my skills aren't enough to get me through a battle I wasn't strong enough and that was as far as I deserved to go." Zoro started to walk ahead.
"You're just strange." Sanji stated watching the swordsman's back as he walked off in the wrong direction.
"Oi, it's this way." He pointed out flatly, "I swear you'd better not be the one that's lost."
"I…I'm not lost. You distracted me." Zoro replied sharply, not liking the knowing look the Keimi imposter was giving him.
"That isn't what Keimi-Chan would think… How do you get so easily lost?" Sanji was chuckling as he poked around in the girls memories a little more. "You could get lost on a straight line by the looks of it."
"Shut up. You won't be here to protect me. I don't need protection so when we get back to camp just… stay away from me you creepy old fox… possessing people… making a nuisance of yourself…"
The grumbling from the swordsman only served to further amuse Sanji.
"I have a name shitty-samurai, it's Sanji. You should be paying me more respect. You make offerings to Inari-Sama; I would have thought you would be glad of a Zenko accompanying your group."
"Che, Zenko my ass. You're a Ninko!"
The pair argued back and forth on their return trip, bickering like children until they were within ear-shot of the camp, when a begrudging silence was held. A guard noticed their approach, sword partially drawn before he realised it was Zoro and Keimi.
Out of the corner of his eye Zoro noted the way the fox had Keimi's shoulders hunch a little, her manner becoming less self-assured and so much more like the girl, he thought for a second the spirit had left, until Keimi reached out for the stag.
"That's kind of you Keimi, and a little optimistic." Zoro said as the guard came to meet them. "I'm sure Pappagu can help you. This stag would be far too heavy for you to carry." He heaved it off his shoulders and dumped it into the guard's arms making the smaller man stumble and struggle.
Patronising fucker! "Hai, Zoro-san." Keimi said smiling, though as the guard passed her the girl turned to Zoro and glared hard. Her expression only darkened as Zoro walked off laughing.
It didn't take Sanji long to prepare and cook the stag, using all of it in various different ways. He hadn't had the heart to allow Keimi to wake from what she would think was a day dream to find a full stag waiting for prep and cooking.
Having completed his work he summoned the nearest man to take the meat through to the rest of the men. Once that was done he sat Keimi down in the corner of the tiny shelter classed as the kitchen and left her consciousness. He'd left her in a state of light sleep so she would wake and feel as though she'd been dreaming anything her consciousness may have picked up while he'd been residing there.
Wandering unseen out into the woods he could hear the men eating their meals sounding very satisfied with Zoro and Keimi's work. He smiled thinking how much more Keimi would be appreciated and wondered if he should possess her again at some point soon and leave behind a little of his cookery knowledge…after all seven hundred years was long enough to improve ones skills.
Feeling a little better now that he'd done at least a part of his duty as protector and good omen, by providing them all with something decent enough to eat, Sanji sat high up in a tree and allowed his true form to show. It took so much energy to stay hidden or to take another's form. His golden hair swayed gently in the breeze almost glowing in the moonlight as slender fingers crept inside his kimono to retrieve his carefully stashed pipe. Lighting it and relaxing back against the trunk of the tree Sanji looked up at the moon and wondered how long he was going to be attached to whoever was 'lost'.
It wouldn't be long before his eighth tail appeared and he wondered if he would feel old. Eight centuries wasn't long in the grand scheme of things… not when you thought about the Buddha and it's eons of existence. On the other hand eight hundred years of watching mortals make the same mistakes over and over did become tiresome. Perhaps that was why some of his kind became so mischievous, even malicious with some of the tricks they played on unsuspecting humans.
Curling his tails neatly around him one by one he noticed his fur was becoming lighter too. Would he be white or gold by the time he reached nine hundred? He hoped gold, the colour of the sun but if he was going to become white he supposed that he would take after the moon instead.
When the last person he'd been protecting had finally passed on peacefully and safe in his own home as he'd wished all those years ago, Sanji had fully expected to be the protector of that house. It was by the sea and so perfect to him he'd almost prayed to Inari-Sama to keep him there… however it wasn't her intention. He had obediently found his way here to look after the 'lost' one.
The main issue he had with this placement was that he had no idea who was the 'lost' one. Flicking his left ear when a firefly got too close he let loose a drawn out sigh.
I hope the 'lost' one makes him or herself known soon… I hate the not knowing.
"Ace, run, I want you to run with the rest of the men. Don't let them in; don't let them take my head." The Daimyo ordered as he knelt, his mind unchanging.
"I can't leave you!" Ace cried as the flames grew higher to the right of the building. "Please Jijih, please you can make it, we'll run, all of us together."
The older man looked into those dark eyes and smiled softly. "Gomen-Nasai, Ace-san. I can't go any further. It is time for a new era. An era shaped by the likes of you and your brother. Do me this last honour and be my second."
Ace had been on edge ever since arriving at Honnō-ji, there had been something about the way Akainu had been as they were leaving. Something about the look in his eyes, his expressions had been so… guarded. Ace was so concerned he'd risked sending his brother a message. It could have been intercepted by the enemy, but he had to try to hurry Luffy up.
A few days after Ace sent his message Akainu had marched his troops into the town by Honnō-ji, none of the villagers believing it to be anything out of the ordinary. Akainu's troops were modernising. They didn't follow the rules of bushido and were happy to fight with guns and Akainu wanted to show the people his idea of warfare was the way to go. This often resulted in him taking his troops on needless tours of the local towns and villages – the people were used to his bragging manner and let it pass without comment since Akainu was not known for his tolerance of criticism.
The aggressive way Akainu's forces surrounded the Honnō-ji had the town's people running scared. They knew their Daimyo had limited forces with him, that he was here to recover from injuries he shouldn't have been able to survive. There was no way he would survive this onslaught brought about by a traitor so foul.
"If you keep looking into the flames like that you'll turn into them one day Ace."
Ace had chuckled and turned to his respected and loved Daimyo. He'd been the closest thing he had to a father.
"I like fire." He'd replied, "The way it moves, the way it can be both creative and destructive… It reminds me of the way a man can be."
Their discussion had gone on for hours, the Daimyo propped up on his futon while Ace sat beside him. The older man had given Ace something to live for, helped him find a purpose just as his brother had. Ace counted himself as lucky these days. Lucky to have a huge family – all the closest followers of the Daimyo and many, many friends who would fight alongside them as they battled to make Japan as it should be.
When an out of breath messenger had burst through the shoji doors the Daimyo hadn't been in the slightest bit surprised to hear his news. Ace had been shaking with rage, but his Daimyo was calm and accepting.
"It is time for me to pass on the fate of Japan." He had said to his troops as the few of them he had with him gathered in the small room he'd been recovering in.
"I cannot move from here, I'll die on the road and I'd rather die here the honourable way. Hopefully they will continue to search for me as you make your escape, which, before any of you protest is a direct order and you will do it. Seppuku is forbidden to you – I want you all to live on and help secure the future for the loyal and honourable. Now… get out apart from you Ace. I require one last favour from you."
The men had done what they could to fortify the defences of the small room to give their Daimyo time to observe the correct ritual. He was quickly bathed and dressed in white by the remaining Buddhist monks before they went out to defend their temple.
Ace's last instructions had been to ensure Akainu couldn't take his Daimyo's head. He'd set fires all around the room to prevent the enemy from dishonouring his leaders death. The last request of the man who had been like a father to him was to act as his second. Acting as a second meant severing the committed persons head from their body as soon as they had made their cut. Seppuku was the honourable way for a samurai to die should they see no other way out. Capture and torture meant shame and that was not something the Daimyo was willing to tolerate.
Steadying himself Ace stood to the Daimyo's side, his sword drawn and held ready. He watched, heart pounding as the Daimyo read out his death poem and tucked the sleeves of his kimono under his knees, torso completely exposed. Reaching for the knife he made his cut, deep and true, not a sound left his lips. Ace brought the sword down swiftly, the dull thud making him sick to his stomach.
He had intended to run as he'd been ordered now that the man he called a father was dead… he'd been ready to carry out the man's wishes, but, it seemed fate did not have that in store for Ace. As the flames engulfed the room he found his way barred by soldiers. He could try to fight his way out… but the Daimyo had told him not to let them get his head. The flames had not yet reached the body. He would have to wait to be sure his Daimyo's last wishes were seen through to the end.
With a grim smile Ace backed up and cut one of the room's support beams, bringing fiery debris down in front of the advancing troops. Backing up towards his Daimyo he watched as the flames crept closer. It looked like he was to become the flames after all.
Kneeling in front of his leader's body Ace watched the troops trying to clear the burning debris… it was surprising what a man would be willing to make his soldiers do to shame his opponent. Preparing himself he had no time to make his death poem as the fire grew fiercer, the heat beginning to singe his hair. Kneeling he waited as long as he could to be sure the flames would consume them both. Akainu was at the doorway now screaming for them to retrieve the Daimyo's head no matter what.
Even the most tenacious of men didn't stand a chance against the sheer destructive power of the flames. With a sneer at the traitor Ace shouted to him over the furore of the fire,
"You will pay Akainu. May you run scared to be killed like the treacherous dog you are." Ace drew his tanto blade and held it to his exposed stomach.
The crack of a gun stunned him for a moment and he looked down to see a hole in his chest, his life's blood slowly pouring from it. Glancing back to Akainu who held the smoking gun he grinned again and made his cut as the flames began to take hold of his kimono.
"Luffy… Gomen-Nasai. I can't keep my promise, but thank you… Thank you for giving me a reason to live. I regret nothing…" His eyes dulled and his consciousness failed him. Ace's form fell forwards into the flames and lay still.
As if the spirit of the temple itself had suddenly taken umbrage to the intruders defiling its grounds the flames towered high, burning brighter and stronger than any fire the townspeople had ever seen. It forced Akainu's troops back and out of its grounds, some of the men becoming scared that they had offended a powerful Kami who would take vengeance in their next battle.
Sanji had been drifting off when a quiet whispering reached him. Sitting up he looked to the moon and tried to listen more carefully. The voice had sounded… triumphant, defeated, apologetic and happy all at once. It sounded like someone's parting words.
The Yokai could never be sure if he'd been dreaming or if his hearing was improving to the level of a nine tails earlier than expected. Something told him whatever had happened tonight was going to change things dramatically. How or why he didn't know… but he had no doubt it was going to bring him closer to finding the 'lost' one. He stood to peer out in the direction he was sure he'd heard the voice coming from
Someone lost their life tonight… someone who will change things for a person here…
Zoro had got the distinct feeling something was wrong as he stood on watch at the edge of the camp. Slight movement high in the treeline made him look up to his right. There stood the Kitsune looking out into the night sky.
Does he sense it? Is there really something wrong..?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yokai - A class of supernatural Japanese creatures.
Kitsune - Japanese word for Fox. They are believed to possess superior knowledge, long life and magical powers. Range from one tail to nine depending on age. Some say a tail appears for every hundered years the fox is alive, others one thousand. Eventually the foxes fur will change to gold or white.
Zenko - Literally - Good Fox. Benevolent and usually a celestial being linked with the god Inari.
Ninko - Fox who can only be perceived when possessing a human
Seppuku - ritual suicide by disembowelment. Samurai often did this to prevent themselved being captured and tortured by the enemy. It was thought of as more honourable. Sometimes this was also used as an execution sentence and often witnessed by officials. If the full ritual was observed the individual would bathe, dress in white and complete their death poem then follow through with a single cut from left to right of the abdomen. Often a 'second' was called upon to decapitate the individual as soon as the cut was made. Seppuku is also known as Harakiri.
Thanks for reading!
More to come thanks to my new inspiration ^.^
(R&R pretty please... it makes me happy~ )