Yeah… I'm new here, please be gentle on criticizing me.
I don't own anything except for the OC and plot.
She hummed softly and swayed her head to and fro as she headed home. Her hands held a bunch of showy bright red flowers she picked from her favourite spot. Another day well spent, she thought. Days like this, she would meditate and practice her jutsu then she would lay on the soft bluegrass under a big meadow tree and stare at the blue skies when she gets tired. It fascinates her how quiet it could be while her mind wandered and doze off uninterrupted. While her eyes were shut, she skipped and glided happily and then hummed again and twirled then finally opened her eyes; she spotted a somewhat spherical white puff that bloomed alongside the rocky path she was walking. She sat down and smiled in front of it and carefully picked it up. She stood up and continued walking while she stared at the lone dandelion she plucked. Her eyes gleamed in amusement. She blew on the dandelion and there goes the white pappi, floating in the air. Her gaze followed at the white parachute-like things dancing in front of her, going higher and higher up the sky. She giddily followed where the wind took it and there she saw a large black smoke building up the heavens. Her gaze went down and her ash colored orbs couldn't believe what she was looking at.
She ran inside the village and the whole place was in total chaos. People are being slaughtered and tossed in the fire. Their houses were being burnt to ashes. The people she knew were on their knees and crying. They were good folks. Even children weren't spared. She hid herself behind a nearby tree to avoid being noticed by those people who suddenly attacked her village. Her heart was thumping uncontrollably fast. Her mind couldn't stop thinking about her family. She ran cautiously behind the bushes and headed for her house. And there it is, her house or what used to be a house, burnt to ashes. She started to panic and ran towards the house and her face was painted with horror. A part of her wanted to cry and scream for help but she knew that wouldn't be a good idea. She was just a child. Confused and scared. Her knees wobbled and tears started to well up. Her cheeks felt hot but her body felt numb and cold. She couldn't think straight. A shiver went up her spine and there, something hit her. She was all alone.
"Mother! Father! Where are you?" She shouted at the top of her lungs. She called out again and again but no one answered, then three men wearing an outfit which she thought was quite familiar. They ran towards her. As if in shock, she just stood there and stared at them. Suddenly, a familiar voice snapped her out of confusion.
"Lady Ryo! Run! Over here!" The young man's face was pale and he was bathing in his own sweat. His white haori was all soiled with dirt and blood. She ran towards him and he grabbed her hand leading her towards the woods. His legs were evidently beat but he lifted her up and carried her. She gripped on his broad shoulders tightly and hid her head.
"Where are they Haku? Where is okaa-san and otou-san? Are they all right?" Her voice was wavering but she kept it all in and kept her strong front. They lost one of their pursuers but the other two were still catching them. The wind was brushing against her cheeks while she waited for his answer. He shook his head then ran faster. Her eyes widened. Ryo placed her palms against his cheek then stared at his thin face. She was about to cry.
"What do you mean Haku? Are they dead? What is happening?" Haku sighed and looked at his back. He slowed down a bit and turned to his left. Haku spotted a shadowy area and settled Ryo there.
"Haku? What's going on?" She grasped on one of his sleeves. He knelt down and patted her head.
"I don't know either, Ryo-dono, but I assure you, they are safe. You're father is a one tough nut" He smiled earnestly. She tried to smile back but she just couldn't. Her heart was aching and worry filled her head. Haku panted and rested near her. He coughed and placed his hand over one of his sides.
"Haku! You're bleeding!" She couldn't help herself. Tears started to fall from her gray eyes. He was impaled by one of the attackers but he managed to escape and find her. She tried to help him by putting pressure on his wound but he only groaned in pain.
"Haku… Haku, I don't know what to do. Please don't leave me! I'm scared Haku, promise me you'll be alright." Her vision blurred, tears fell down nonstop. His lips slowly curved into a weary smile.
"I know, I know," He coughed. Haku held her hand and returned it on her lap then continued to speak, "You'll be alright, I will protect you. When I first came into your house, didn't I promise you that I will protect you no matter what happens? This is nothing Ryo-dono, I'll be fine after I get a rest." Haku closed his eyes and ruffled then patted her head while a smile was still plastered on his face. It was a habit of his to comfort her. Whenever she was down, he would pat her head and say everything will be alright and her face will lit up again. She didn't really have much friend. The count was, one to none. And that one, was him. All the kids in their village would not even dare to come close to her. It was not because she was a monster or anything but, they have too much respect for their family that they would feel so inferior and lowly to mingle with her. That didn't make her happy at all.
It was getting dark, they have been sitting there for an hour or so. She tried to be alert and keep her cool down but she couldn't stop worrying about her mother and father. The wind was blowing harshly and the cold started to bother her fragile body. She tugged on Haku's sleeves and pulled on it twice.
"Haku, I'm cold. Haku?" She shook him but to no avail, he wasn't waking up. Ryo sat beside him and leaned on his shoulders; she curled up into a ball and hugged her knees. She tried to wake him up. She bumped her body against his but he wasn't moving at all. Ryo held his hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Haku-" She paused.
"Your hand is freezing." She sniffed then held his hand close to her chest. She tried to suppress her tears but she couldn't.
"Haku, you promised…" Ryo gave another squeeze on his hand and then gazed at him. He looked so calm yet the pain he went through was evident. The wind blew against his short black hair. She buried herself behind him and closed her eyes. Her mind slowly drifted away while her body felt the chills of the night.
The blinding light of the sun awakened her. Her eyes flickered then open. She stared blankly up the trees. Haku died last night; her mind wandered. She stared at him once again. He was seated there beside her, perfectly still. She could just pretend that he didn't die at all and he was only taking one of his lazy long naps, but she couldn't trick herself. That is the reality of life, of human life.
Haku was not one of them but, he served them very well. He was loyal, trustworthy, kind and especially, a great friend. She wondered that, if he was an oni then he could still be breathing and talking to her by now. He could've just taken any blow from a sword and bleed but wouldn't freaking die. Ryo wanted to get mad at him for being a human but, she can't. It was that, she thought that, humans are so fragile and limited. Ryo stood up, finally and gave another glance at him. Her eyes were filled with loneliness but she managed to smile at him one last time.
xXx
She left him and headed to the nearby lake. Ryo splashed a handful of water to her face and then she began to recollect her thoughts. "Now what?" She thought to herself. If she headed East, she'd be going to the opposite direction of their village. Ryo knew she couldn't go back, not now that Haku has sacrificed himself just to get her out of that mess. But then again, she wanted to look for her father and mother. She just have to look hard enough for one last time.
Ryo climbed over the walls separating their village from the forest. The fire that set the village into hell she saw yesterday was now extinguished. The attackers of the village were marching to and fro and checking up on the dead bodies scattered. Trying to be cautious, they were impaling the bodies one last time and dumping them at a corner. She tiptoed all the way at the back of a hut and kept her eyes peeled open for any sign of her father or mother, but there was none. Ryo was at the back of a cart when a large troop came marching in. Soon, a tall man with a long beard appeared out of nowhere. He gave Ryo the idea that he was a man of high stature, not because of the presence of the beard but because of the clothing he was wearing. He wore an elegant looking haori with red linings along it and a plain white kimono inside paired with a beige hakama. What was strange was that, the haori was familiar. She gasped.
"But of course! It's a sign of leadership of an oni clan! So that's why it was so familiar. Otou-san owns one of those." She exclaimed then she immediately covered her mouth. "But why? Why would a leader of an oni clan attack a fellow oni?" The sight boggled her mind. She intently gazed at them trying to make sense of what was going on. The man barked orders at them, he was obviously not pleased.
"Find him! We must find him or the Lord won't be amused about it!" He yelled at the men and pointed at different directions. The men were dispatched and left marching. After the crowd was cleared, the oni leader was left alone with another man and a little boy about Ryo's age. The man was evidently an attendant to that oni leader. He was wearing a black haori and kimono. His red hair was tied back neatly and it looks like "Yes, my lord" was his favorite words. His face was stern and serious that the aura that he was emanating was the aura of discipline.
Ryo observed them closely. She looked at the little boy and a bell rang inside her head. Her eyes widened.
"That, that kid! I know him! He's from the West oni clan." She could never forget that boy who once visited this very own village with other important people from other clans. He was wearing sophisticated clothes and his blonde hair dangled against the breeze and fell effortlessly in place. Even his posture gave away the fact that he was nobility. The blonde boy wandered around the court and observed the place. He walked towards a cart filled with hay. Ryo shivered and crouched really really low trying not be seen. The boy tapped on the cart and Ryo flinched but she immediately stifled her voice. He spotted Ryo who recoiled from his sudden tapping of her hiding place. The kid smirked with a smug look. She furrowed her brows and she started to panic. Her gray eyes met his red ones. She couldn't just run because there were guards scattered everywhere. Her face was full of terror and she was obviously about to cry. He turned his back and returned to his companions. She couldn't believe what happened but she was a bit curious, not thankful, about why he didn't compromise her. Soon, the three were out of her sight and there were only about two or three guards roaming around the area.
Ryo swiftly ran across the yard and snuck behind a bush. Carefully, she observed her surrounding; her feet took her to the market place of their village. As if it was her fate to be spotted, she tripped over and caused her to draw attention.
"There she is! The daughter of the clan leader! Get her! Don't let her escape she might know something." One of the men shouted at the others.
She tried to escape but her young and thin legs were outmatched by their brute endurance. They caught her. She wriggled to set herself free but it didn't happen. Their loutish strength was nothing compared to her small, thin and starving body. She calmed herself and then bit the arm of the man holding her. The man groaned in pain and accidentally dropped her but the other man caught her. He grabbed her hair and pinned her down then started to tie her arms behind her. But then, a man with a jet black hair and gray eyes appeared.
The man tying her down got distracted and she managed to run towards the man who suddenly appeared. She hugged his legs tightly. Her eyes started to well up.
"Otou-san! I thought you were…" She paused. She shook her head then continued, "Where is okaa-san? I'm glad you're okay!", she said excitedly. His face softened. The girl was really happy to see her father alive and well. "Don't worry Ryo, everything will be alright, your mother is safe." He smiled down at her revealing fine lines on his pale face.
At that time, she felt safe and warm.
One man shouted, "Surrender now and we will spare your life and your daughter!" The man taunted. Her father shifted to his opponent once again and unsheathed one of his katana from his scabbard placed on his right hip. He gripped on the hilt tightly. This was a sign saying that Ryo's father was not going to give up that easily without putting up a fight. They readied themselves and started to attack continuously. Although he was fighting against three men, he could still clash swords with them easily until more enemies were in sight. He groaned and glanced at his daughter then furrowed his brows. One of the assailants noticed he was distracted and grazed his right shoulder making him to retract. The incoming enemies were getting closer; he pulled out one of his katana and tossed it to Ryo. He intently looked at her.
"You know what this means right?" He smiled apologetically. Ryo's grasp on the sheath tightened.
"But-"
"As long as you have that, our clan will endure. Now, go!" He did not wait for her to answer. He immediately faced his foes and charged at them. She could only do nothing but, run. Ryo sprinted out of the scene. Her cheeks felt hot tears flowing from her eyes. This was only the thing she could do, run and be saved. First Haku, and now her father. Ryo could fight but, the thing was, she was too scared to even go back and help. She shook her head while tears were dripping from her eyes and looked back at her father one last time. She saw how they struck and took him down. Her hands clasped the katana on her hand tighter and looked ahead. One person was running far behind her, trying to catch up. She ran towards the woods until their silhouettes were out of sight.
"Otou-san… Haku-" She muttered softly then, her eyes fluttered open. It was just a dream; she sighed and crept inside her futon. She sniffled quietly and didn't bother getting out of her futon, face still covered with blanket, she immediately got up, and to her surprise she bumped her head hard on a wood. The ceiling on her room was just too low. This room was given to her because her brother said that it was too luxurious for her and those rooms were intended for stay – in students not for 'faculty members' (actually, there were many empty good rooms) Besides, she was the only one who could fit there and she couldn't argue with her brother. "Ow" She rubbed her forehead and dumped her body again on her futon. "Tsk, I hate this room. I'm getting taller and bigger too you know, onii-san!" She screamed inside her head.
"Kosuke-kun! Rise and shine! We've got loads of work to do!" The silence was shattered like a glass. Her heart jumped. She accidentally bumped her head again against the ceiling which made a large thudding sound.
"Did you bump your head again Kosuke-kun?" Then an obviously muffled giggle could be heard outside the room. She rubbed her temples and crouched slowly out of her futon avoiding to crash the ceiling again.
"Shessh, shut up. What do you mean by 'we' got lots of work to do? Sounds more like 'You've got lots and lots of cleaning to do' to me" Her cheeks started to feel hot and blood in her veins started to boil. She got out of the room safely and proceeded to the kitchen. Another boring and tiring day she thought. She washed her face and tied her mid length chestnut colored hair up then grabbed her tasuki and tied her sleeves up to begin working. This was her daily routine, get up early, clean, clean and clean. Nothing special and nothing to be happy about. Her life bore her. "'Kosuke-chan, sure your life at Shieikan Hall will be exciting. You won't regret it. You'll learn what you need to know' He says! Pfft. What an evil way to convince me" She reenacted everything her brother told her in detail while she filled a bucket with water; it kept replaying inside her head how gullible she was when she was younger. It has been 2 years since she was staying at the famous Shieikan Hall. Shieikan hall, the famous Tennen Risshin-ryu dojo for aim high peasants to be a samurai which was founded by the Kondou family [1].
"I thought, when I came here, I would be able to learn something, but no! He just wouldn't let me." She grunted then scrubbed the wooden floor harshly. She sighed heavily and looked out the garden. It was still dawn and there weren't much people out. Her mind wandered again and as if in trance, she picked up a mop stick and proceeded outside. She searched the area if anyone was already up and there was none so far. Kosuke closed her eyes slowly and deeply inhaled. Though she was using a stick, she imagined that it was a sharp and merciless sword. She struck and beat the air countless times as if she was striking an invisible man. Every early morning, she would practice her kenjutsu; she improved by just observing the students and the teacher whenever they were training while she was doing her chores. One thing good about her was her memory; she could memorize anything immediately and store it inside her head and would stay there forever until it becomes useful.
"One, two and strike!" She hissed then struck the tree violently as hard as she could.
"Kosuke-kun? What are you doing?" Kosuke immediately froze and faced the owner of the voice she just heard. There stood a young man wearing a dark blue kimono matched with a black haori. The morning breeze blew and sent chills to her body. His black mid length hair swayed along the gentle breeze. She was still petrified for a moment and then she randomly smacked the trunk of the tree and hit a big fruit fly, coincidentally.
"Ah! Hijikata-san! Err, I was just killing that large bug I saw and uhmm-" Kosuke said while she scratched her head and made awkward and random gestures in the air. His bright purple eyes were fixated on her then his brows furrowed. Hijikata placed his right hand on his hips and started to talk.
"Kondou-san is looking for you" He declared and then turned away. She nodded accordingly then she subtly chuckled sheepishly. She picked up her cleaning materials and started to put them inside the bucket when Hijikata suddenly spoke.
"By the way, that is not a bug, that's a fruit fly" Before she could utter a word, he left. Her brows were now knitted together.
"I know that!" She said denying her stupidity after he left then she continued to speak, "Kuso! Haaah! I made myself look like an idiot again." She heaved a sigh. Kosuke headed to the shed and left her cleaning stuff at the corner. She headed for the water pump and washed her hands and dried it with her black sleeves. Afterwards, Kosuke looked for Kondou whom she found at the training grounds.
"Ah, Kosuke-chan, where were you? I was searching for you high and low but couldn't find you." Kondou said while a big grin was plastered on his face then ruffled her hair. She slouched then folded her arms and then pouted her cheeks.
"Then you weren't looking hard enough, onii-san" Her tone became peevish and cynical. Her gray orbs looked at him and then stared at the ground while she kicked small rocks.
"I told you I hate it when someone messes with my hair." Her lips curled into a big frown.
He tousled her hair again as if ignoring her and chuckled loudly but somehow his face was full of annoyance. His brows arched and said, "Look here smarty pants, Gen-san said that the kitchen is running out of supplies, get the list from our guy and here is the money, now get going, Kosuke-chan" She groaned in protest and turned away from Kondou and walked lazily while she bowed her head.
"Oh, and by the way Kosuke-chan, don't wander off like you did before. Come home immediately. They need those things quick." He stood up and headed inside the hall. She groaned again and sighed before she proceeded to the kitchen.
"Ugh, what's with him calling my name with a chan?"
xXx
The market was lively and full pack with people. There were lots of interesting stuff to see and places to stroll that she almost forgot that she has to buy some things. It was near dusk when she finished shopping. Ryo knew Kondou is so drop dead worrying now and she got lots of scolding to hear later. Well, not that she was afraid of being reprimanded the whole night or anything like that.
It was already sun down when she arrived near the entrance of the Dojo and there Kondou and Shuusai were standing talking to a young woman and a boy. The lady with reddish brown hair and a fair complexion was wearing a vermillion kimono and a straw sandal. The little boy has the same hair color which was tied up and he was wearing a crimson kimono. They seemed to look absorbed in whatever they were talking about so it was time for Kosuke to escape or try to escape from being reprimanded because of wandering off and coming home late. She walked closely along the walls carefully, avoiding to be noticed. She was nearly inside the gates when suddenly, Kondou grabbed her collar and raised her. His other hand rested on his side. She wriggled and protested for him to let her down.
"Where have you been?! They were looking for the stuff they asked you to buy but you did not come home early! Most importantly, I was worried about you. I thought something happened to you. I sent someone to look for you!" Kondou let her down and then he folded his arms; his eyes filled with concern. She fixed her kimono and raised her left index finger as if she was about to point out something big. Kosuke was about to talk when Shuusai interrupted. He cleared his throat and gestured Kondou to face the two people still standing in front of them. Kondou scratched the back of his head and then chuckled awkwardly.
"Oh, right, right. Mitsu-san, Souji-kun this is my very naughty brother, Kosuke." He patted her head and then continued to talk, "Kosuke-kun, this is Mitsu-san and that is her brother Souji-kun. He will be staying here with us" They bowed at each other then Kosuke slapped Kondou's hand off on the top of her head. Kosuke stood there for a minute and then attempted to take off while they were still talking. However, while doing the escaping she overheard their conversation.
"Kondou-san, all this time, I thought you have two elder brothers" The lady said while her green eyes were focused on Kosuke. Kosuke froze at that moment and then straightened her body. Kondou looked at Shuusai and then laughed inwardly. Kosuke, apparently interested, she went back behind Kondou and then cleared her throat.
"Well, actually, Mitsu-san, that is a common misnomer. They say that onii-san have two older brothers because I and brother Otogorou is more mature than him so that's why he…" Before she could finish what she was saying Kondou covered her mouth and then laughed loudly.
"Okay, that's enough of your jokey joke jokes" Kondou smiled at them then gave Kosuke the stare and Mitsu-san smiled back but her eyes weren't happy. It was not too long when Mitsu-san bid her farewell to them and especially to her younger brother and then left.
"Damn kid, you crushed him" Shuusai looked at Kosuke and then gestured at the direction of Kondou. She snickered. Putting aside the troubles that Kosuke made, Kondou and Shuusai along with Kosuke looked at the little boy left by his older sister. He stood there looking at the fading silhouette of his beloved sister until she was already out of sight.
