Gǔjiàn Hé Gǔqín

Many years ago there was a city hidden in the mountains. A young boy lived there with his mother in peace. He was excitable and loved to explore. His adventures led him to many places and different situations. One day, it led to his safety. His fate was sealed in stone from that point onwards.

His freedom was gone.

我在受苦

The day was bright when he had left the city. He was wide eyed and full of wonders – as all six year olds were. The world was beginning its descent into autumn. The trees were vivid with brilliant colours. Red and orange filled his eager young eyes. The image was beautiful. They were his favourite colours. He ran forward when a high pitched squeal rang out. He reluctantly stopped and turned around.

His mother stood at the tree line with her hands on a young girl's shoulders. "Sasuke, look after Rin, will you? We have to care for our own,"

Sasuke frowned as he approached Rin apprehensively. "Yes, mother,"

Mikoto smiled adoringly and began her journey back to the city. "Good boy. I look forward to hearing about your adventure when you come home,"

Sasuke pushed Rin towards the path he was about to take. His eyes lingered on his mother's retreating figure sadly. He never liked to be apart from her. As her silhouette faded amidst the glowing leaves he heard Rin giggle. At once, he spun on his heel to confront her. Her hands covered her mouth but her eyes and quiet trembling betrayed her silent laughter.

"What's so amusing?" he glowered.

"Nothing is amusing," Rin replied innocently. "I find it sweet that you care for her so openly. Most people pretend that they don't until their loved one is gone. Then they mourn for not only the person but the time and the memories that they didn't share."

Sasuke grunted and stormed ahead. He grumbled lowly under his breath and strode faster. To his horror, Rin matched his pace exactly. He glowered over his shoulder and she flashed him a wide smile, knowing exactly what she was doing. Sasuke glowered at her, ready to demand that she stop, when he tripped. He fell with a clunk.

As he hauled his foot out Rin grabbed his arm. "No, Sasuke, we need to go back! We're not allowed to go far. We could lose our way or meet strangers!"

He pushed her away. "I was coming this way before you came. I'm going over. You can stay here if you want and wait,"

She shook her head violently. "Sasuke, I'll tell your mother!"

He flinched. The image of his mother's expression of deepest disapproval flashed through his mind intermittently. He shuddered at the thought. As much as he loved her she was not to be taken lightly. He could still remember the last time he misbehaved. She knew that her disappointment in him was worse than yelling.

Sasuke shuffled his feet. "Well… We could go together?"

Rin sighed. "I don't like this, Sasuke. Why can't we just back?"

He shook his head. "No! Rin, when am I going to get an opportunity like this again?"

His face was a perfect mask of horror and desperation. He was right. They were rarely allowed out of the city. The next opportunity for him to leave would be years away. She could remember her own impatience at his age. She begged and pleaded with her own father to no avail. She was six before she was allowed to the city gates and eleven before she was allowed beyond.

She frowned. "I don't suppose ten minutes would hurt…"

Sasuke beamed widely and his eyes lit up with exuberance. "Do you really mean it?"

She nodded reluctantly. "I suppose… You can't get into too much trouble with me here anyway. Where do you want to go?"

He spun around and points upwards. "I want to climb that mountain! Mother told me to pace myself though so today can we go up to that bit, please?"

She nodded again. He jumped up and down enthusiastically. The excitement and promise of adventure had made his forget about misbehaving. He clutched Rin's hands and dragged her up the mountain path. His feet were a blur against the dirt path and the clouds of dust he was creating. She yanked him back and he stumbled. His feet tangled and fell into a heap in front of her.

She groaned and knelt in front of him. "Sasuke, this is why we aren't allowed to leave in the first place. Calm down and maybe I'll make it fifteen minutes,"

He nodded slowly: pouting and feeling sorry for himself. "You're mean…"

She laughed, pulling him to his feet. "No, I'm your cousin. There's a difference. Maybe one day you'll learn it,"

He walked side by side with her reluctantly. His bottom lip was still protruding and his forehead was still deeply furrowed. However, his heart was beginning to race. Each step took him closer to the top of the slope. He'd never seen what was on the other side before. As the blue sky expanded his heart throbbed suddenly.

Sasuke stretched up onto his toes. His grip on Rin's hand tightened. His eyes grew wide as the fluttering crimson and orange leaves of the trees came into sight. They flourished across the mountain. The path he was on stretched into the distance, winding around corners and between trees. There was a ravine that had no visible end but he was too far to be sure. The other side was equally as red, orange and mystifying. There was a path on that side too but he could only see a small part of it. The trees had swallowed the view but that only excited him more.

He threw Rin's hand aside and ran up to the old bridge at the end of the path. There were vines beginning to creep along the rope railings. Some of the wooden boards were missing or broken. His hands trembled with excitement. There was nothing that he wanted more than to run free but he knew better than to disappoint his mother.

He turned around, eyes pleading. "Rin…"

She shook her head in disbelief and continued forwards. "I did say ten minutes, didn't I?"

To her surprise he didn't take the bait. He raced across the bridge: eyes scouring for weak planks and other hazards. He didn't care about haggling over the extra five minutes she said she would consider. The world needed to be explored and he would spend all the time that he could doing exactly that.

Sasuke skidded to a halt at the other side. A soft cloud of dust rose around his feet. It sprinkled across his bare ankles. A wide smile grew across his face. It was softer on this new side. He wriggled his toes experimentally. The unsettled dust drifted upwards before beginning another descent. It was no supernatural phenomena but the ground was uncharted and he had to know everything about it.

Rin's hand landed on his shoulder. She gestured to the path ahead. Impatience had made a wrinkle on her forehead. The urge to laugh at it struck Sasuke. He quaked lightly with the urge. She shook his shoulder forcefully and his glee faded.

She nodded. "Perhaps we should go back…"

A branch clunked next to Sasuke's foot. He looked ahead and found a monkey grinning from atop a high branch. His arms were waving from side to side tauntingly.

He scowled. "You… thing…"

The monkey leapt to his feet. He twirled around and stuck his rear end towards them. His arrogant face turned to them with a challenging glint in his eyes.

Rin pulled Sasuke back, her tone stern. "We should go back to the village now,"

Sasuke reluctantly retreated by a step or two. His eyes remained fixated on the strange creature that he had never seen before. The monkey, watching them, stuck out his tongue. His arms flew wildly in the air tauntingly.

Sasuke pulled away and snatched up a rock. "Stop doing that!"

The monkey only stuck its tongue out again. He turned around to showcase its rear end once more when the rock clunked against its head. The monkey cried out and fell forward. At the last second his tail snapped up and wound around the branch. He swung back and forth for a short while as the world began to settle into a still image.

The monkey chirped loudly in aggravation. He dropped down onto the ground and stomped over to them. His eyes were wide with fury and he was shrieking loudly.

Rin pulled Sasuke. "We have to go! Now!"

He ignored her again. The monkey's expression wasn't one of a creature that would easily be dissuaded. So Sasuke threw himself at the branch the monkey had thrown at him. He ripped it from the ground and swung it. At once the monkey shrieked even louder. He staggered back with his hands on his head. Its dark eyes glanced between them nervously before fleeing.

Rin scowled at Sasuke furiously. "What were you doing?"

His back still towards her, Sasuke smirked. His wide, excited eyes were fixed upon the branch. He did it! He kept them safe from the monster thing.

Rin struggled not to let her jaw drop in horror. "I'll tell your mother! Sasuke, listen to me!"

He was pressing ahead. The branch was clutched tightly in his hand. His body was flooded with adrenaline and excitement. The pounding of his ecstatic heart echoed loudly in his ears. What else would he meet? How else could he be a hero? The possibilities were endless and he couldn't stop his thoughts from becoming more and more extraordinary. His mind was full of beasts with beady eyes, horns on their faces, grotesque sounds, filthy blood covered mouths and the stupidity to charge into battle without hesitation.

He was swinging his branch recklessly from side to side when Rin hauled him back violently and shook him by the shoulders. "What are you doing? This is uncharted territory! We've already gotten into one battle! Why do you insist on getting us into another! I'm not throwing my life away for a stupid game and neither should you!"

He frowned and kicked at the ground ruefully. "I… I just don't want to go back yet… When am I going to get the chance to come here again? We'll be too young and then we'll be too old!"

She shakes her head adamantly. "With luck we'll never leave the city again! Come on, we're going back,"

Sasuke nodded but when she started on the journey back he slipped under her arm and ran. The old wooden boards of the second bridge creaked even more than the first. However, there were none that had splintered or broken in half, for which he was grateful. He raced onto the dirt track and up the tiny slope. Rin's furious cries were lost to his ears as he caught sight of another strange creature.

Sasuke veered to the right and crouched down between two large trees. The light pouring through the red and orange leaves stained the ground. He couldn't tell if it were by the light or not but the small, sleeping creature seemed to glow auburn.

Rin spun around to find him absorbed by his find. "Sasuke, that's not funny!"

He swatted at the air in a bid to make her silent. She refused to be quiet, however. Her voice grew shriller and shriller until he was surprised that the mountain hadn't tried to throw her off.

"And that," she shrieked. "That is why we need to go back! Do you hear me? Sasuke, I'm talking to you! I…"

Her arms, which had previously been flailing wildly, had come to rest by her sides. Her wide eyes were fixated on the small, curled up creature. Her jaw hung slightly agape and she seemed in awe of it.

She whispered, as though fearful of waking it. "What is it?"

"My pet,"

Author's Note: The date this chapter was completed: 19.04.13. I like this really much. The game I adore beyond all rational reason. However, the genre isn't well-known or popular. I'm doing this to spread knowledge and love for the genre and for the game! Please, someone start Cosplaying them (I did, today, and it was so fun to make the outfit!)! Ah~ Shall I do this also for the sequel? Shall I do another re-telling for the third part which hasn't even been started yet? I would be honoured to, but I hope some people will like this one first.

Thank you for reading. I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter. I apologise if you are unsatisfied.