Roy: After the resolution against Shishio, Soujiro goes to wander Japan, saving people from themselves as he tries to save his soul. Now, Soujiro the wanderer saves others.
Soujiro The Wanderer
Chapter 1: Savior
"Ah, the air is nice…" A voice said, with an obvious smile to it. The owner of the voice was lying back against a tree stump in the forest, his dark hair blowing in the wind. His eyes were shut and his face held the expression of dreamy contentment as he drifted off into the reaches of a nice, peaceful, and well deserved sleep.
Almost. The sound of a young girls' shriek caused the boys' blue eyes to snap open.
"Oh? Now who could that be, making all this ruckus on such a fine day as this?" The young man asked, standing up. Eager to find out who was making the noise that was disturbing his sleep, he rushed towards the sound.
"Hey, girl, what's the problem? You don't got any money?" A large, dirty unshaven man asked, grabbing onto the young girls' arm. The girl herself couldn't have been more than eleven or ten years of age, although if one could see into her eyes, they would be able to tell that they were the eyes of someone much more mature then a young girl. They were the eyes of someone who had lived in poverty all her life, probably left as an orphan from the revolution. Her hair was wild an unkempt, leading down to just above her waist. The color, though it could have been a dark red, was stained dark brown from dirt. Her face and clothes were also covered in dirt, though 'clothes' is a bit too literal. He clothes were nothing more than a torn robe, obviously for someone much older than herself, which was stained from its original light color to a much darker shade of brown left behind from dried blood and dirt.
"You know, if the girl don't got any money, she can always work it off for us by sellin' her inta slavery." The other man said, smiling. The stench of hard liquor was in the air, clear enough for even someone several yards away, like the young boy who was watching all this, to smell.
"Ya know, that might be a good idea at that!" The larger one, obviously the less intelligent of the two said, rubbing the stubble on his chin. "Well girly, it's time you come with us!" The large man hefted the young girl, still kicking and screaming, onto his shoulder. His comrade just watched the whole thing, laughing as he took another swig from his sake bottle.
"She might be pretty young, but a street kid like this must know somethin' about pleasin' a man." The second one said, taking another drink. "If we cleaned her up some, we might be able ta sell her at high price at one o' them brothels."
"Maybe if we give her to them they'll let us have the first romp with her fer free!" The large man said, smiling.
"…This really isn't any of my business." The boy said. "But even so, I'm the only one out here, and the only one to see those men take her…"
"Remember, Soujiro." A voice rang through his head. "The strong live, and the weak die. The weak are nothing but food for the strong."
"I don't know about the 'back then' that you speak of," another, kinder voice said. "But this one will use this sword to protect the weak!"
And then, a third voice, the boys' voice, rang loudest of all.
"If what you say about protecting the weak is true, then where were you to protect me back then?" The boys' voice shouted, almost as if trying to encourage himself into getting involved in the affairs of someone weaker than he. "If what you say is right, then why didn't anyone protect me?"
"I see." The boy said, closing his eyes, then opening them again. He then took a step forwards, and disappeared in a flash.
"Stop." The boy said, walking out from behind a tree in front of the two thugs. "There is no one here to protect this girl, so I will protect her."
"What are you, some sort o' hero?" The larger of the two shouted. "Why should we let her go just because you told us to?"
"Yeah! This girl is refusin' ta give us the money she owes us, so we're sellin' her to even out the score!" The shorter one shouted.
"Really?" The boy asked. "What money can that young lady possibly owe to two men such as you?"
"None o' your business, pretty boy! Now get outta da way!" The larger one shouted, raising a big, meaty fist before slamming it down on where the boy had just been standing.
"I'm telling you," the boy said, smiling. "That you'll let her go." The boy delivered three simultaneous hits to three parts of the mans' arm, breaking the arm in three separate areas. The sheer force of the pain caused the man to drop the girl, as the boy caught her and landed safely on the ground.
"Now, take your large friend and leave." The boy said, smiling in a way that was much different from before. This smile was the ice cold smile of a predator looming in on its' prey.
"R-right away!" The short one said, picking up his large friend, running off away from the village.
"Now, young lady, are you all right?" the boy asked, giving her a warm smile.
"Yes, sir!" The girl said, nodding. "That was so cool what you did to those guys!"
"I know, but my name isn't 'sir', it's Soujiro." The boy said. "Can you remember that? Seta Soujiro."
"Yeah!" The girls said, smiling.
"Do you have a name?" Soujiro asked.
"Rin!" The girl said, smiling. "My name is Rin!"
"Now, that's only half a name." Soujiro said, smiling. "What's the other half?"
"I don't have one." Rin said, looking down. "My name has been Rin all my life."
"I see." Soujiro said, sadly. "Well, we might as well get you cleaned up!"
Soujiro leaned down, and patted Rin on the head. "After all, we can't have you going into town like that, can we?"
"Ah, much better!" Soujiro said, smiling. Rin had just come back into the clearing they were staying at for the night, her hair and clothes much cleaner. Now that she was cleaned up, it was obvious to see that her hair was now well cut, and of a light auburn color, which her eyes matched. Her robe was now a light chestnut instead of the dark, stained brown it had been before, and her face was much cleaner, a pale white instead of brown. Soujiro had even made a pair of makeshift sandals for her, so she wouldn't have to walk around barefoot.
"Well, should we go to sleep now?" Soujiro asked, smiling. He unrolled a small makeshift futon from his bag, and gestured to Rin to sleep on it, while he leaned back against a tree for some much needed rest.
It was raining. It was always raining. Only this time, the rain was crimson, and smelled of blood. No, wait. The rain was blood. Soujiro fought to get to the surface of the bloody river, but unseen hands kept dragging him back into the darkness, all while the cruel, evil laughter of Shishio Makoto rang through his ears.
Soujiro awoke that morning in a cold sweat. He then checked on Rin to make sure she was sleeping fine, before taking a small dip in the nearby river. Upon returning, he was shocked to find that Rin, having woken up, was working on a re-rolling up the futon.
"Allow me to help you with that." Soujiro said, smiling. He reached out a hand, which Rin knocked away. She was determined to do this herself.
"No! I want to do it!" Rin exclaimed. "I know I can if I try!"
"Alright." Soujiro said, smiling, leaning back against the tree. "Wake me up when you finish."
Two hours later, after Soujiro awoke, he smiled at the fact that Rin still wasn't able to roll up the Futon, and she had drifted off to sleep with a smile on her pretty little face.
"Cute…" Soujiro thought, looking at the girl, curled up on the futon, giggling in her sleep.
"Well, I can't believe she can laugh in her position." Soujiro said, smiling. "Not that I'm one to talk."
"Well, Rin, it's time to wake up!" Soujiro said, shaking Rin awake.
"Huh…" Rin said, opening her eyes slowly. "Five more minutes…"
"Sorry, but we have to get going if we want to get to town soon." Soujiro said. "If you don't hurry up, I might have to leave you here."
"Sorry!" RIn said, bolting up.
"Well, we must be going." Soujiro said, rolling up the futon, placing it in his pack. He then stood up, then walked off towards the small town.
"Wait up, Master Soujiro!" Rin shouted, chasing after him.
"Please, don't call me 'master' if you can help it." Soujiro said.
"Sorry!" Rin said, smiling.
Roy: So, that was the first chapter? How was it? Review, please.