Blackblade Rising

The winds of forever

When did cogs of time ever start to turn?

When did you whistle that song with your friend, so many years ago under the lost skies?

When did you say that deceit was the only way?

Who did you ask to take it all back?

Fate or destiny?

When did the laughter fade from life and blew into the winds of forever?

When did you cry for the spirit that was forgotten?

Was it when you begged for the spirit to return?

Or when you slaughtered it?

Why did you choose the Blackblade…over all humanity?

Over friendship?

Over me?

Chapter-one

Battle under the Blood Red moon

"Hirota!" screamed Taidide at the top of his lungs as he ran through the bamboo forest. His armored hands held onto the hilt of his katana still sheathed at his side. His medium jet-black hair waved wildly in the wind as he jolted through the forest. A crackle of twigs behind him caught his attention. With lightning fast speed he withdrew his sword and turned around slicing into the air behind him. As he did this an explosion of fire that came off of the sword set the bamboo trees on fire. There was laughter above in the canopy as the flames crackled and sent the bamboo stalks into oblivion. Taidide's bloodshot blue eyes shot up at the dark figure in the trees.

"You missed Taidide, your getting clumsy and ruthless." Laughed the voice, as the figure began jumping from branch to branch. Tadide's eyes narrowed as he jumped off one tree stalk to another until he was high in the canopy. He followed the dark figure quickly, speechless. He followed the figure until the canopy vanished and the two were far out on the plains of Kyoto. Above in the sky the Red moon sent a devilish glow upon the plains.

The figure stopped far out in the plains and turned to Taidide.

"Taidide…Why do you continue to follow me?" asked the voice. Taidide stopped before him and his blue eyes met with the figure's red eyes.

"Hirota…You murdered Sakuya. She was our friend! How could you Hirota!" yelled Taidide.

"She was a fool to think she could harbor MY sword, Taidide. She deserved to die! I found the Blackblade! I deserve the power it possesses!" screamed the voice.

Hirota stepped forth exposing his tannish face and light brown hair. In his hand he held a long blade that was darker than eternity itself. He waved it once in the air letting the sound of it cutting the air fill Taidide's ears.

"I one called you my brother Hirota…But what your doing is wrong. I'm ashamed to call you my friend." Said Taidide as he held his blade before him and was frowning at Hirota. Hirota laughed as he spoke.

"You dare deny me Taidide! I only wanted what was best for us both. Sakuya was just in the way! I wanted to share the power with you Taidide…my brother… " His red eyes closed as he held the sword out before him.

"A man that would destroy the life of another to gain power…is no brother of mine."

The words shot through Hirota and burnt his soul and emotions. His red eyes opened wide as he took an offensive stance.

"Taidide…"

A wind passed over the two and then the battle began.

"Hirota! DIE!" screamed Taidide as he dashed forward at Hirota. Hirota's face was filled with hatred and he jumped forward toward Taidide. In a few moments their swords met in an explosion of screams and sparks.

Taidide repelled Hirota with his foot and jumped forward raising his blade high into the air. When it swooshed downward toward Hirota's Blackblade and set off another explosion of sparks, the grass beneath their feet was blown out of the ground into the air around them. Hirota grunted and countered the attack with a kick to the face. Taidide growled as he flew backwards into the midnight sky. Below him Hirota ran underneath him yelling at him.

"If I had to make a choice between you and death. I'd choose death!" he yelled angrily as he flung himself into the air his sword prepared to slash Taidide in half.

"You already have!" screamed Taidide as he spun around in midair and blocked Hirota's attack. The two screamed angrily as their swords met again and again and again.

"Shin genin sho tsarta!" screamed Hirota as a dark shadow came off the sword and whizzed through the air heading towards Taidide.

Shin genin style huh? Is that the limit of his power or just the beginning? Thought Taidide as he roared at the top of his lungs.

"To dome," said Taidide as he began slashing his blade into an "X". "DA!"

When he said those words a bright light came of the sword and he stabbed his sword into the shadow. It evaporated into nothingness.

"Nice going! Dodge this!"

Taidide's eyes shot open to find Hirota descending from the sky with his sword between his outstretched legs.

"Gome hietai sho tsarta!" screamed Hirota. Taidide screamed as he performed a backflip. Gome hietai? How can it be, He never even learned the style!

The Blackblade missed Taidide by a hair. When the Blackblade was impaled into the earth it sent huge chunks of earth into the air and a large crack beneath Taidide, who still was halfway through his backflip.

Taidide descended from the air onto into the huge crack in the earth, it was inevitable to fall in. as he fell through the darkness he turned around so that his back was facing the darkness and he was facing the sky.

Taidide! If you don't do something quick you'll die! Everything you've fought for, everything you've done will be wasted. Sakuya will never be avenged!

Hirota laughed as he sheaved his sword. He walked to the edge of the crevice in the earth, but did not look down.

"It was in vain Taidide, you were destined to die a long time…" He was interrupted by a loud explosion in the earth which made the ground rattle.

"Tsuyo Hakimorae sho tsarta!" came Taidide's voice from within the crevice.

"What? It cannot be!" screamed Hirota as he withdrew his sword again. Taidide appeared out of the crevice flying high into the sky leaving a trail of fire behind him. When he landed the entire field was set on fire spontaneously. For a moment Hirota stared at him in awe before his face was filled with an insanely evil grin.

"Tsuyo Hakimorae?" said Hirota as he stepped forward clapping. " Congratulations, only the finest warriors can master the style, and only the greatest can survive it, and only the foolish would use it." He laughed and impaled himself in the center of his chest with the Blackblade. " But let us see, how do the flames of the phoenix fight back? Against the flames of darkness!"

Hirota's eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head as a black aura surrounded him, making him appear like a black flame in the night. Two pairs of shadow wings sprouted from his back and he uttered the words.

"Tsuyo Emanilorai," his muscles bulged as he said this, "Sho tsarta!"

The sky was suddenly filled with darkness and lightning began to rain down onto the burning plans with massive rumbles of thunder.

" Come Taidide, BURN IN HELL!" said Hirota in a demonic voice. Taidide swirled forward toward Hirota like a tornado. Hirota took hold of the Blackblade's hilt and pointed it at Taidide.

When the blades met the skies rumbled with thunder as rain fell from the sky like shadows. The swishes from the slashes could be heard a mile away.

"Sho tsarta!" screamed Taidide as he lunged forward. Brimstone flew into the sky as his sword was slashed in half by the Blackblade.

"No!" exclaimed Taidide as he was rammed in the chest and sent flying miles back into the air.

"I will not miss again Taidide! Die!" Screamed Hirota as he jumped miles into the air.

"Gome hietai sho tsarta!"

He took the familiar stance in the air, with his legs stretched out and the sword right between them pointing down, and aimed for Taidide's chest.

Taidide's life flashed before his eyes as he noticed his chance of survival was cut off.

His pupils shrank as he remembered the time period when he and the demon in the sky just miles above him…where the greatest of friends, the greatest comrades.