YOSHO! EPISODE ONE
By nik,
Revised Edition characters you are about to read are property of AIC/PIONEER and/or FUNIMATION. This story was not made for profit, so please don't sue me, however this is my story, so please don't plagiarize.
Author's notes:
What you are about to read is a Tenchi FF set in the OVA universe, 700 years ago, at the time when Ryoko has just raided the Jurai Royal Palace. The only characters in this FF you should be familiar with are Yosho, Ryoko and...well I'll just keep that last one secret for now. Anyway, there is a guide for new characters located at the bottom of this document if you get lost.
So, without further a do, let the story begin...
Y O S H O !
"Ryoko..." the Devil's smooth voice echoed coldly in her head. "Ryoko..." it called again. "You will find the power. I want it. Bring it to me."
Ryoko grabbed her throbbing head with both hands. Her body started to shake. Through the wincing pain she looked down at the dead palace guard by her feet. His blood began to pool on the slick stone floor. Again the pain took her.
"Ryoko..."
She clenched her fists and let out a horrific scream as she rocketed through a gaping hole torn in the Palace wall. She was still screaming as she approached her ship, Ryo-ohki. From out of the burning fields a Juraian warrior held the key to his ship, the key that could fashion a blade from the power of the Jurai. Yosho ignited the blade and watched the demon retreat to her ship.
She was in the royal nursery. he thought to himself. She can't be allowed to escape. Not with what she saw. Not to return again someday. It has to end now. He closed his eyes and concentrated as the key began to glow. Slowly a rumble filled the sky and a shadow covered the land. Yosho's ship Funaho hovered overhead patiently...
The Ryo-ohki blazed through Jurai's atmosphere at amazing speeds, leaving the planet with a trail of fire. Bolts of energy from a pursuing ship suddenly grew closer.
The chase lasted hours, both ships stressed beyond their limits. Ryoko stared at the monitor in front of her, power draining quickly from the engine. Ryoko allowed her ship into the atmosphere of the tiny blue planet and fired back several shots at her attacker. Again, the voice came to her.
EPISODE #1
Home At Last
Okayama, Japan 1292 AD.
North end of the village of Shippoinu
Light from the moon brightly lit the late summer's eve, partnered with the stars that endlessly littered the sky . Beneath the night canopy two exhausted young men trudged home after a hard day of work.
"Just another day busting my ass and nothing to show for it! Nothing but blisters on my feet!" said the fatter of the two men, "It's pointless! We'll starve this season! Better we slit our bellies and end it than go on like this! It's not enough that we haven't caught a thing this week, but then the old man sides with Seikou, and now we owe him one-half koku of rice if we don't find that horse!"
His companion looked back and observed as the first man sat down and grabbed his throbbing foot. He watched in disgust at this man who had complained the entire trip home. The mere sight of the stout man, foot in one hand and long spear with a pierced fish at the point sent shivers down his spine.
"Stop whining! You say the same thing everyday we come back home. What do you think whining is going to do? It's not like I can put food in our bellies or mend your blisters or fix any other problems in our miserable lives by hearing you whine! ... we just need to go home."
"You call that a home?! We sleep in a tree! We don't even have a roof to keep us dry!"
"We would if our fathers hadn't kicked us out!" Atsushi exclaimed, "but noooooooo... they decided that there wasn't enough room with all the other kids in the house." Atsushi added mockingly.
"They should be the ones to live outdoors! We're older, we should inherit first!" Yuji said, clenching his fist and stomping his spear.
"Maybe if you weren't so fat we could all fit…" Atsushi said aggressively.
"I'm not fat, I'm just not a scrawny beanstalk like you!"
"Anyone's as thin as a stalk compared to you!"
"RRR! I'll kill you Atsushi!!" Yuji screamed as he leapt onto his friend, trying to rip the goofy red-and-white bandanna off the gangly young man's head.
After an unimpressive display of sissy-fighting and girlish yelping on both sides, the two retreated to opposite sides and curled up into whimpering balls of self-pity.
"Sniff... I'm sorry Yuji... Sniffle... I'm just mad at this whole situation! Sniff-Sniff..." said a miserable Atsushi.
Atsushi pitifully crawled over and embraced his friend. "Whimper...Let's never fight again. Sob."
The reunited couple slowly got off the ground and, still sobbing, made their way over to a large maple tree that overlooked a pasture. The pair helped each other up the branches and settled into the grooves snugly.
"Yuji?" Atsushi called to his companion.
"Yeah?"
"I hate sleeping in this tree." the skinny fellow declared.
"Yeah."
"I hate being a fisherman too.
"Yeah."
"... and I hate Seikou..."
"Yeah. I also hate dung-eaters. Dung-eaters who won't shut up when I'm trying to sleep."
Atsushi grunted an empty threat of action at the insult, opting to roll over on his back instead. He watched the stars twinkle and grumbled to himself, still mulling over his seemingly pointless and beleaguered lot in life.
Yuji's ears pricked up a bit. Still hunched over the limb of the tree, and without so much as a twitch of his now shut eyelids, he called to his friend- "Hey Atsushi, you hear a whistling sound?"
Atsushi waited a moment. "Nah, I don't hear nuthin'." Looking back towards the sky, Atsushi noticed a strange thing. The star he was looking at quickly shifted its position among the other stars. It wafted back and forth, moving faster and faster. It seemed to be growing brighter, as if it was coming closer.
Atsushi's posture erected and he tightly clutched at a nearby tree branch. Suddenly hundreds of little red and yellow stars seemed to dance around the first star...
"Yuji..." Atsushi muttered in astonishment.
FISZZZ! WSHHHHHHSH!
A volley of red and yellow bolts of light began to litter the landscape immediately followed by thunderous explosions. One bolt shot through the tree branches, nearly clipping the duo and knocking them to the ground.
"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Atsushi screamed in fright.
"RUN!" Yuji replied as another series of shots seemed to chase after them.
The Village
"What are we going to do about THIS?!" a short middle-aged man screamed into the crowd that had formed at the center of the village. High in his hand he held a lump of rotten dried-out wheat, which he threw down to the ground in disgust.
A group of about fifty people were gathered in front of the town office. Many were carrying torches and primitive lanterns to provide light. These peasants were the inhabitants of the village of Shippoinu. They were mostly farmers of wheat and rice but some were fisherman who supplied the village with food from the winding river that ran alongside town.
These people were known to Japanese as "eta," the lowliest occupation of life. The lowest rung on Japan's social ladder, they represented the poorest of the poor, considered unclean and not to be seen anywhere near members of "high society" Japan. Their one purpose in life, as custom, was to supply their feudal lord with revenue, though their actual lord had not visited the village in many years.
The feudal lord, called "daimyo", only demanded that the village pay their taxes. In return, the villagers were allowed a meager yearly stipend that barely satisfied basic survival requirements. The village of Shippoinu had a reputation among neighboring villages as one of the lowest in all the Land of the Gods (as the Japanese called their islands).
The office was a run down shack in the middle of town that was near collapse. As the village eta stared towards the office, an old man dressed in the brown and grey uniform of a priest returned their pitiful glares. Lines were etched in his weathered face; carved from years of hardship and the burden of decision.
"We can't feed ourselves with this. And we certainly can't pay our debts with it! Better we kill ourselves than watch our children starve!" the little man's wife clutched her child closely and began to cry.
"Granddad, what do we do?"
The rest of the crowd anxiously awaited the old man's reply. The old man looked around for a moment. He looked out upon the village made up of dozens of little houses, and in front of him were some of the residents, frightened and clueless.
"It's true. We don't have enough money to pay. But we must go on. That's an early crop you've harvested. We'll wait for the crops to pick up. Until then, don't be reckless. Ration what you have, and we'll try to send out food when the nets come in."
"That'll keep us alive, but what about the money?! If we don't pay, we're as good as dead!" another voice shouted.
The crowd clamored and the old man fought to calm them.
"I say we take the Seikou's money!"
"Yeah! They got more than enough!"
"We'll be killed!"
"Better a quick death than slow! I say I'm for it!"
"No one is stealing anything!" the old priest ordered.
"Look!" screamed one of the anonymous crowd members.
Suddenly a series of fires seemed to burst forth from the ground, causing the village to erupt in panic. After a minute or so of bombardment, the violent blasts stopped.
"What was that?" one villager asked as he took cover.
"Masaki-dono…?" another villager asked the old man.
The old priest, Yasunori Masaki looked at the village, parts of which were burning. He noted that a few structures had been reduced to flaming rubble. Suddenly, the old man looked toward the sky to see a strange glowing light quickly fly overhead.
WHOOSH! Suddenly the fires continued again, and the villagers screamed and scattered.
"Quickly! Get water!" Masaki ordered.
Space
Inside Funaho, blasts ripped into the pilot's chamber. Yosho instinctively ducked his head as the ship rocked back and forth.
Can't take much more of this... Yosho thought to himself.
Looking to end the fight quickly, he positioned the ship closely behind Ryo-ohki and fired a volley of shots. Ryo-ohki continued to fire back, but sputtered as plumes of brown smoke bellowed out her side.
Yosho felt a brief burst of ease flow over him, knowing the pirate ship was finished. Then, to his horror, a large section of the Ryo-ohki's outer structure broke off the main ship where Yosho had just hit. The jagged piece soared right into Funaho's path of flight.
Acting quickly, Yosho took the controls to move the ship out of the way, but it was too late as the rock-like section of the Ryo-ohki slammed into the side of the Funaho, causing massive damage. Devastated, the lumbering ship tumbled after Ryo-ohki, both ships firing back and forth at each other in denial.
Inside the pilot room, red lights flashed and panic sirens wailed as the computer screen lit up with a dozen warning signs. Yosho knew it was over.
"EMERGENCY TELEPORT!" He ordered the computer.
Yosho turned around and watched as the brain of the ship, the tree standing in the center of the room disappeared in a flash of light. Yosho was relieved that Funaho had made it. He turned around just in time to see Ryoko's ship slam into the Earth's surface east of the village of Shippoinu.
Issuing what he presumed was the last command his ship would ever receive, the voice activated transporter teleported Yosho down to the surface as the ship headed for impact.
Once on the ground Yosho watched his Funaho smack into the crater created moments earlier by Ryoko's ship. His heart sank as his beloved ship, one of the most powerful in the galaxy, was crushed into the Earth's bosom. Funaho hit the ground with a thud and an upheaval of dirt and debris. Yosho thanked the heavens that the ship did not explode so violently, and that there was a chance Funaho might fly again if somehow he could get a salvage crew on this planet.
Turning his attention elsewhere, Yosho looked at the remains of Ryo-ohki, and could not help but be impressed at how well the ship had survived. Though half the ship exploded when it struck the ground, the bulbous red dome and several of the large jutting black pillars were still intact.
With any luck, the crash incapacitated her. Yosho thought to himself.
But then he felt it. His training with the Galaxy Police and dozens of other teachers sensed it: he was being watched. Yosho knew who it was and he discreetly fingered the hilt of the Master sword. His head did not move. No need to alert his stalker that he sensed her presence. His eyes slid from one tree line to another.
It was then he saw the silhouette. The form of a young woman, ankles crossed sitting high in a tree. He could not see her features, only the black outline of her body perched easily on a branch and those piercing red eyes watching him intensely.
Yosho turned on the blade of the Tenchi-ken and leapt forward, up the tree where his Ryoko was waiting. Yosho swung his blade, but Ryoko managed to dodge it. Igniting her own blade she swung back. Yosho managed to catch it with his sword. Ryoko grabbed Yosho by the tunic and flew off through the woods, deciding to give the prince a brutal tour of the thick forest.
Yosho hollered in pain as the limbs, trunks, leaves and branches scraped at his face and body. Struggling, he freed his hand from the shrubs and grabbed hold of Ryoko's arm, giving him just the leverage he needed to send Ryoko tumbling into the forest with a powerful kick to her ribs.
Yosho landed on his feet and saw Ryoko pull herself off the ground. She growled at him and fired several bolts of energy in his direction.
The Village
Just outside of the east end of Shippoinu, atop a winding forested hill, a light flickered through the tiny cracks of an old house. The house was bigger than the typical fare the village offered.
Discounting the two houses owned by the Seikou family, who were the only wealthy family in this section of Okayama, this house was the finest in town, boasting two floors and a strong wooden frame, which was a luxury in Japan. From the outside, muffled voices could be heard speaking in soft tones.
Inside, a young girl unrolled her silky black hair and brushed it out with her hands. She was a slender girl, having just turned twenty-one a month earlier.
She smiled warmly as she finished taking her hair down for the night and opened a handkerchief to reveal a leaf she had found earlier that afternoon. Just then the girl sensed a slight vibration accompanied by the muffled sound of a thud.
Curiously, the girl waited, as earthquakes were all too common an occurrence in Japan. A few minutes later there was no follow up shock, and she put the tremor out of her mind, returning her thoughts to the leaf.
It was the last green leaf she expected to gather before the fall picked up strength. It made her think of a poem her father had composed last year when the fall was approaching.
Leaves falling green
Twisting in flight brown and yellow
My soul turns colors
A knocking noise came from the shoji. "Come in," the girl replied.
The shoji slid open and revealed another young woman, slightly younger, kneeling on the floor with her hands on her lap, which was considered polite when entering a room with a closed shoji.
"Sorry to bother you Kasumi." the kneeling girl said politely.
"Not bothered at all. What's going on little Naoko?"
Naoko cringed inside. Though she was only a year and nine months younger than her sister, Kasumi often referred to her as "little Naoko" or "Naoko-chan." Though the sisters difference of age by looks was slight, Naoko's demeanor always came off as more juvenile than her sister, a fact she worked hard to suppress. Kasumi never meant it as an insulting gesture, actually, it was one of great affection, but "little Naoko" secretly bothered her greatly.
"Kasumi, I wasn't going to ask you for help, but Yumi insisted that she wouldn't go to sleep until you come up there." Naoko explained.
"What's the matter with her?" Kasumi asked with concern.
"She's frightened again. She wants you."
"Oh, poor thing. She gets so afraid," Kasumi said as she got to her feet and headed for the door, "Just like you used to. Remember when we were younger you would crawl into bed with me, crying yourself to sleep? You were so scared!"
Naoko did not follow her sister. She sat in the doorway thinking about her sister's story, which had left Naoko feeling lonely.
Kasumi opened the shoji and by candlelight saw a little girl half-hiding under the blanket on the floor. Kasumi felt herself smile, affected by the bittersweet humor of the adorable six-year-old frightened by the dark. She bent her back over to get more on the little girl's level and put her hands on her knees
"Hey Yumi," Kasumi called out softly, "what's wrong?"
The little girl poked her head out of the sheets. "Can't sleep." she replied curtly.
"Well why not?"
"Monsters..."
"Monsters huh? There are no monsters in here sweetie, I can see everywhere in the room and there's nothing here. But if it makes you feel better, I'll stay with you and make sure." she said reassuringly.
"Not in here." Yumi replied, "They're outside." sticking her hand out of the sleeping bag, she pointed towards the open window. Her hand slightly shivered as it went back into the safety of the covers.
Kasumi frowned. Slowly she got up to shut the window closed. She grabbed hold of the sliding paper window sheath and stopped dead in her tracks. Before she had a chance to close it she heard a snapping noise in the trees. She held her breath and listened nervously for it again.
Though the forest was ten feet from the window, she felt the brush seem to creep in closer. Her skin prickled and grew tight. Dimly her eyes adjusted and focused on two tiny red slits like eyes in the woods. The eyes narrowed at her.
"Do you see it?" Yumi asked in whispered breath.
Kasumi was too afraid to reply.
"RAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Half the wall exploded in an instant followed quickly by the screams of Yumi and Kasumi who huddled to the back corner. From the wreckage crawled out the owner of the glowing red eyes: a woman with wild hair a strange color that neither of them had ever seen before.
The savage woman wasted no time in grabbing Kasumi by the kimono and yanking her up on her feet. The savage turned her around and put Kasumi's neck in the crook of her elbow like a prisoner. Kasumi gasped for breath and began to choke at the strength of her attacker.
"...Run Yumi!" the words managed to escape her lips.
Yumi ran down the stairs where Naoko was waiting, asking what had happened.
"Monsters!" Yumi replied in terror.
Upstairs Kasumi fought for breath and scratched at the woman's forearm uselessly.
"Let her go, Ryoko." a voice from the woods demanded.
Kasumi's head snapped towards the sound of the voice. Standing on a tree limb, Yosho steadied himself with one hand and in the other he held the shining blue sword called Tenchi-ken. Ryoko materialized a short orange-red knife from her left hand and held it at Kasumi's throat. Kasumi gasped in terror as the weapon drew close.
Before Yosho could move Ryoko half flew half teleported to the top of the roof through the newly formed hole from Ryoko's entrance. Kasumi screamed into Ryoko's arm as she felt her own body seem to disappear, her weight becoming like the air and then resolidifying. She noticed her feet weren't touching the ground. The savage woman was holding them both suspended several feet above the roof!
"HEEYAAH!" Yosho screamed. With blinding speed Yosho leapt to the top of the roof and swung the Tenchi-ken for Ryoko's face. Ryoko extended the blade that she had held to Kasumi's throat to the size of a sword and parried Yosho's thrust. Yosho huffed as he landed back on the roof. Ryoko fired several energy bolts which Yosho dodged easily. Ryoko then put the blade back on the girls throat.
Kasumi struggled as she felt the hot blade cut slightly into her throat. "H-Help me!" she pleaded. Yosho winced. There wasn't much he could do to stop Ryoko while she held the girl hostage. Without turning, Ryoko flew backwards towards her ship, not letting her eyes off of Yosho. "Please help!" the girl cried out.
Yosho set off after them, thinking of some way to save the girl and stop Ryoko without cutting the innocent Earthling in half.
From the open balcony that had once been a room on the second floor, Naoko, stared in disbelief at the damage around her. Where was Kasumi? What happened here? Clutching Yumi tightly, Naoko watched as a strange man in white garb went running off into the night.
Who was that? she wondered to herself.
The Crash
The Space Pirate had returned to the site where her ship had crashed.
"Ryoko..." the voice called again.
Ryoko tightened her hold on Kasumi without realizing it. Kasumi tried to break free, but to no use.
"Get out. Get out of my head!" Ryoko rambled.
The nonsensical rantings only intensified Kasumi's fear. "Please... please let me go!" she begged.
Then, from the corner of her eye, Kasumi noticed the man from the rooftop 15 meters away. He stood perfectly calm waiting for Ryoko to notice him.
"I'm right here Ryoko. Let the girl go and we'll finish this." Yosho looked at her exposed left wrist, glowing like fire from the red Gem embedded there. Yosho knew what had to be done.
The dark took her over again. Ryoko laughed sadistically. A bright ball of energy materialized in her hand. She fired the shot at Yosho, who dodged it and leapt forward. Ryoko fired again, this time Yosho cut the projectile in half. Twice more Ryoko fired, and the bolts exploded on impact with the blue blade of the Tenchi-ken. Yosho screamed as the burning energy seared his clothes.
When the smoke cleared, Yosho was lying on his back in the dust, the Tenchi-ken blade shut down, the hilt lying in his palm. In horror, Kasumi began to loose consciousness. "Nooo!" she struggled. Ryoko held her limp body closely as she moved over to examine Yosho.
She stood over him and watched his crumpled form. Her hold on Kasumi laxed, but Kasumi was too faint to escape. Yosho's eyes quickly snapped open, much to Ryoko's surprise. His plan had worked. Yosho leapt forward, igniting the blade before Ryoko could react.
"AAAAH!" Ryoko screamed as Yosho's blow sliced through the side of her arm. Yosho tackled Ryoko and Kasumi to the ground, but Ryoko kicked free of him landing several meters away. Yosho caught Kasumi in his arms. "Don't move!" Yosho ordered.
Kasumi went limp. She heard the man mumble something. The words echoed distorted in her ears. What did he say? Don't move? Don't move. The last of her consciousness slipped away.
Yosho gently placed her on the ground and faced the enraged Ryoko. The two dueled for several minutes, Ryoko's rage animalistic. Yosho ducked a stroke from Ryoko and planted the blade of his sword through Ryoko's throat.
As the blade sliced through Ryoko's neck, the beam of blue energy crackled slightly with an almost electric-like quality, causing Ryoko to jerk and whelp in pain. The Tenchi-ken's sword pommel lit up as it absorbed the Gems from Ryoko, stealing her strength and finally causing the demon space pirate to collapse. Yosho closed down the blade of the Tenchi Sword once the final Gem was taken from Ryoko's throat.
The voice called again. "Ryoko..."
Ryoko's body quivered. Her mind seemed clearer in these last moments.
"Ryoko..."
The voice grew fainter.
"Ryoko..."
She felt the dark weight leave her. The voice stopped forever.
Sitting down on the grassy earth with a sigh of exhaustion,
Yosho looked down at Ryoko's form lying on the ground, and then over to the collapsed girl Ryoko had taken hostage. He looked up towards the stars, twinkling serenely, paying special attention to one star in particular.
The Village
Atsushi beat his companion to the top of the hill, followed a moment later by Yuji, the hefty fellow huffing even harder than his friend.
"gasp wheeze Atsushi, look!" Yuji pointed towards the tree line on the horizon. The waning orange glow that could only be a fire was impressive. Beyond the horizon was their village, no doubt burning from the fire that fell from the sky. Both men's anxiety grew as they thought of their families who lived on the edge of the village. Without a word they threw themselves forward, running with all effort towards the village.
Masaki thanked the gods that the winds were calm and that the fires were confined to only a few areas. As near as the old man could figure, seven huts and one barn were on fire, with two other huts whose fires were now under control or put out altogether and another barn which had burnt to the ground.
Even better, the stream was close by and the chain of villagers carrying jars and buckets, anything that could hold water, was operating smoothly. The village was no stranger to fires. Earthquakes plagued the Japan islands and always brought fire and death.
A young boy handed Yasunori Masaki another bucket that he sloshed onto the burning hut in front of him. He thought on the "incident" as he worked to put out the fire. Images of people screaming and running as flashes of light exploded on the ground filled his mind.
He remembered seeing a run-down barn which he had known all his fifty-four years of life suddenly burst like a ripe melon and leave nothing in its place. Another hut had vanished the same way, leaving only smoke and fire in the wake.
The villagers scampered for water. Masaki remembered what so many had said they had seen. The town was rampant with rumors that a dragon from the sky had burned the village.
"Masaki-dono!" A voice called to him. Turning around he saw Atsushi and Yuji jogging towards him.
"Grab a bucket, head to the river!" he snarled to the impetuous youths.
The boys ignored the order and stopped at his feet, huffing and puffing.
"Where's my family?" Yuji asked impatiently. Atsushi followed up by asking the whereabouts of his own family.
Just then, Atsushi's little brother Shinji appeared. Shoji lived with his family the Iragas, who shared a house with Yuji's family the Buntos.
"Hey squirt, where's Dad?!" Atsushi demanded rudely.
"Helping the others. Oh yeah, the house burned down again..."
Atsushi and Yuji sighed. It always just so happened that their families' house was always burning down. "Great, what's that, three this year so far?" Yuji replied sarcastically.
"Nevermind them, they're fine! They're helping! Now get going!" the old man growled as he kicked them aside.
The boys reeled over and clutched the ground. Atsushi leaned forward saying " cough... just gimme a second... gasp... ran the whole way... gasp... we're really tired!"
With this, Masaki lost his patience and he grabbed the youths by their shirts. "I'm an old man. You're twenty years old!" He said as he squeezed them tight as an elderly gent could. Atsushi and Yuji's eyes watered and bugged out of their sockets
"If you don't get up right now and get water I'll beat the senses out of the both of you!" Masaki snarled, his skin red with anger.
Dropping the pair, he returned to the burning hut. Atsushi and Yuji caught their breaths, shamed from the priest's admonishment.
"Father! FATHER!" a voice called from the west end of town. Masaki turned his head to see his daughter, Naoko Masaki running through the huts, Yumi held close to her chest. Masaki's jolted and stopped his daughter's flight, grabbing her by the shoulders. Naoko bounced gently off his chest. "Father!" she repeated.
"Calm down!" Masaki ordered emphatically.
"The fire stopped!" he reassured.
"No!" she squealed, unable to catch her breath or calm her panic. Masaki then noticed that Yumi was crying, but neither of them were burned or smelled of smoke.
"Are the house and shrine on fire?"
"No... Kasumi... she's she's..."
"Calm down. Is she hurt?"
"She took her!" Yumi said crying.
"Who took her?" the old man demanded.
"I don't know, she's gone!" Naoko answered, ranting and too upset to think straight.
The old man's heart sank in his chest. He took his younger daughter by the hand and ran back towards the house. Atsushi and Yuji were stunned, they looked back and forth at each other. "Let's go!" Yuji shouted as the pair took off after the Masakis.
The Crash
Yosho knelt over and propped the girl's head up with his arm. She moaned softly, still not awake. Yosho checked her over. A cut on the throat, skin deep, no real threat. Another on her cheek and several bruises. With his hand he removed several strands of hair that were caught in her mouth and brushed them back behind her ear.
She was beautiful, he remarked to himself. Her skin was soft and light, her hair a thick, but silky black that shimmered like glass. Her physical features were impressive as well he remarked as his eyes began to wander down her body. Suddenly a little embarrassed, or perhaps guilty, he made his mind go elsewhere.
Her dress was strange to him. It was similar to Juraian clothing in some respects, but still, it was different- less ornamental, more purposeful- yet attractive to him. Yosho wagered that the dull white cloth was probably her sleeping garment, as it was very thin material. It was then that Yosho noticed something peculiar.. Moving a lock of her hair, he saw that she was wearing a Juraian hairpin. Upon closer examination, Yosho believed the hairpin to be a key to a Juraian Royal Tree.
How could she have gotten that? Yosho wondered.
With great care he laid her back in the soft grass, checking one last time that she was okay. He turned to hear the ping of his spaceship tree appearing in the clearing. The tree reflected several small bolts of light to indicate to it's owner that all was well. Yosho nodded and walked over to Ryoko.
It's just as I thought. Yosho said to himself as he stared at the newly introduced red orbs on the pommel of the Tenchi-ken. The Gems were her source of power. Yosho remembered the way the Gems had glowed earlier when Ryoko had attacked the Jurai Royal Guards. He remembered seeing her evil laugh. Then he thought of the moment he burst into the nursery, full of rage.
The nursery was the most sacred room in the Jurai Royal Palace, even moreso than the Emperor's throne room. The nursery was the legendary home to the Jurai Royal Trees, the trees which served as the heart of the Jurai Ships, the source of Jurai's power.
Most importantly, the base of the nursery was the home of Tsunami, the mother of all the spacetrees and the most powerful force in the known universe. No one in the history of the kingdom had ever penetrated its defenses... until Ryoko.
He charged inside only to discover Ryoko hanging softly in front of Tsunami, a beam of blue light suspending her limp and peaceful body. He heard a soft and beautiful voice speaking to the demon pirate. Confused, he wondered why Tsunami would speak to Ryoko that way. Why didn't Tsunami destroy her? Suddenly, the voice stopped and tremors took over Ryoko's body.
Yosho watched as she opened her eyes, yellow and cat-like. She looked around the room. Yosho remembered the look on her face, like she was confused and didn't know what she was doing or where she was. Quickly, Ryoko grabbed her head. Yosho saw her eyes turn bright red and the demon backed away, and retreated out of the nursery, seemingly afraid of Tsunami.
Yosho remembered where he was and looked down at Ryoko. The mysteries surrounding her swam in his head, pointing towards his earlier suspicion...
Yosho held aloft the Tenchi-ken. The red Gems shone brilliantly as Ryoko's body began to float limp in the air. It softly floated backwards and phased inside the trunk of Funaho with a tingling sound. The jewels grew dim again and the Funaho's leaves again shot tiny bolts of light to hail Ryoko's arrival.
"That should hold you."
Funaho-ki floated gently above the ground and then shimmered with red, blue, yellow and silver lights. The tree then disappeared in a protective camouflage; only Yosho would know that she was hiding there. Funaho hovered above the ground unseen by anyone, silently waiting her masters orders for departure... or to root in the ground forever.
For a moment he sat down in the grass, thinking of his plight. True, Ryoko had to be stopped, but Yosho had left for other reasons as well. His brow furled as he tried to find a solution. His mind wandered to thoughts of his father and mother on Jurai. They were so proud. Their expectations so high. But was that what he wanted?
He thought of Airi. Her green hair flashing in the sunlight, he remembered a kiss they had shared at sunset under the branches of a camellia tree. But that love was not meant to be... He thought of Ayeka, his sister as well as his fiancé. She too had great expectations, but he did not love her. Not in that way. Not in the way she had fooled herself into thinking she loved him.
He thought of the whispers of a few members of Juraian "nobility." Their hatred of him was potent. Hatred of his Earthling blood and his unquestioned inheritance of the throne. And then he returned to the present. Now he was stranded on Earth. His spaceship tree could signal for a rescue team, but he couldn't deny that he had left for a reason, and now he wasn't sure if he wanted to be rescued.
Could I really stay here? Could I really never see them again? I don't think I could. What about the throne? It isn't as if Father won't rule for another thousand years, and who knows what might happen by that time. They would find me eventually anyway. He turned his attention back to the girl on the ground. Again he picked her up, this time gently tapping her face and rubbing her shoulder to rouse her.
Slowly the large eyelids opened. Yosho felt his heart stop. The eyes were brown and deep, so much like his mother. Kasumi's head has spinning, but slowly her mind put together the image in front of her. The face of the man who had tried to save her earlier looking down at her.
Half-frightened, she forced her mouth to work. "Who... who are you?"
The House
Masaki raced inside his house, screaming Kasumi's name. He saw the hole in the ceiling from a distance and his heart was racing. Outside Naoko and Yumi were watching, shocked at the old man's uncharacteristic panicky behavior. Yuji and Atsushi caught up just in time to see the old priest pop out.
"Which way did they go?!" Masaki asked excitedly.
"West." Naoko said pointing.
Again, the group gave chase, heading west through the forest towards the top of the hill. Once at the top the old man could see into the valley below. His eyes searched fast and frantically. The crater in the ground caught his eye, and he found himself staring at two dark figures locked in combat.
As he focused in on it, he noticed the white sleeping garment that his daughter would have been wearing. He focused his failing old eyes on the patch of white, there was no doubt it was Kasumi.
"There!" he exclaimed as he grabbed Naoko's arm. Naoko, Yumi and Masaki ran down the hill, their view of the fight now obscured by the forest. Atsushi and Yuji reached the top last. Atsushi stopped to catch his breath.
"...where did they go?" he panted. Just then he spotted them heading down the hill. "DAMMIT!" he wailed, tears flowing at the thought of another jog.
"Atsushi! Look!" Yuji said grabbing hold of his friend. Yuji grabbed Atsushi's head and craned it towards the field. Atsushi quickly composed himself and gasped in awe. Down in the field, a man in white had sent a shining sword through the throat of a monstrous looking woman who, astonishingly, was still alive. The two men's voices quivered with fear. Just then the woman stopped squirming and the sword disappeared.
Stunned, Yuji was the first to speak up. "C'mon Atsushi, let's go!"
The Crash
"It's alright," Yosho answered the young girl, "my name is Yosho. And there's nothing to worry about, she won't bother you anymore."
Kasumi looked deeply into Yosho's face. She felt her skin prickle like it had been earlier. She didn't want to move, but something swept over her. Kasumi studied the eyes of her savior, a deep purple and brown like nothing she had ever encountered before. His skin was a dark olive-brown, and his features were handsome. She found that she had been clutching his chest and back and that she was very close to his face. Still confused from earlier, her senses were reeling at a new sensation, uneasy with the proximity to this mysterious man.
Suddenly she remembered the devil woman who had taken her hostage and her mind raced, wondering where she was. This compounded with her proximity to the stranger caused her to lose balance. Her feet kicked out from under her. She gasped but was instantly caught by Yosho, who now kneeled alongside her in the whispering grass.
"Hey, I won't hurt you…" Yosho said calmly, "Ryoko won't hurt you either."
"R-Ryoko?"
"The one who attacked you. She's gone, I promise." he said happily.
Kasumi's heart stopped pounding and her breathing became normal.
"Thank you... thank you for saving me..."
Just then a trickle of blood ran down her forehead into her eye, making her wince.
"Here, use this." Yosho said as he tore a piece of his tunic and swabbed the flowing blood. Kasumi grabbed the cloth and blotted her eye with it.
"So what's your name?" Yosho asked nervously. He cursed himself for not being able to think of anything else to say. It donned on him that he was flirting, or at least attempting to. That thought made his cheeks burn and he worried she might see him blush. But Kasumi couldn't see the flush through the dark of night, only the pale blue shimmer of the moon on his face.
"Um... your name? Miss?"
"Huh? Uh...Oh! Kasumi!"
Now it was Kasumi's turn to blush. She tore herself away from his gaze and managed to gather herself.
"Kasumi Masaki."
Yosho ears pricked up at the mention of her name. Masaki?
"What are you doing here?"
"I came for her, she... I was sent to stop her. Now I'm stuck here."
Kasumi felt euphoric. The whole night had felt like a dream. Evil monsters, flying through the air, sword fights, a handsome rescuer...
"Um... Miss Kasumi, could you maybe move your foot?" Yosho laughed.
"Huh?" Kasumi looked down. True enough, her heel was crushing the tip of his toe. "Oh!" She exclaimed, embarrassed. She moved to relieve his foot.
"KASUMIII!!" a voice called out. Kasumi turned to see Naoko calling her name as she ran towards her. "Hey Kasumi!!" another voice called out. It was Atsushi, running along with the rest of the pack. Her father was ahead of the rest of them by a few steps. "Father..." she sputtered out.
Kasumi snapped back to reality. She realized she still had her hand on Yosho's chest and she awkwardly jumped off of him. Yosho's hand retreated behind his head scratching nervously at his scalp.
Masaki grabbed his daughter's wrists and checked her over, nervous pants of relief escaping his lips.
"Kasumi! Kasu-" Naoko stopped dead in her tracks, her thoughts no longer on her sister. Instead, she was fixated on the figure in front of her. It was the man she had seen earlier. Her entire consciousness was fixated on him.
My God, He's beautiful! she heard her mind exclaim. Never before had she ever seen any man as elegant, regal or powerful as the man before her. Just standing there he exuded a confidence and strength as powerful and beautiful as the sea.
"Hey, pal, what's the deal!?" Atsushi accused. Naoko's trance ended with Atsushi's questioning. Slowly she set Yumi down and tried to let the others notice her staring at the stranger. "Half the town's on fire ya know, you've ruined everything!"
Yosho felt guilty. It was true, much of this was his mess. He had chased Ryoko to Earth. The loss these people had suffered was as much his as it was Ryoko.
Yuji looked into Yosho's sash and saw the hilt of the weapon from earlier. His anxiety intensified. "Listen, we don't want no trouble, just... go."
Masaki turned to face the young man, afraid he might harm his daughters still. Kasumi sensed the tension in her father's grip.
"No-No, wait! He saved me."
The revelation stunned Atsushi and Yuji. No one knew what to say next. Yosho stood calmly and waited.
After a moment, Masaki answered. "Thank you," he said, still a little choked up, "thank you for my daughter."
"Don't mention it."
Suddenly the guilt hit him again. He looked across their faces, stopping when he saw the other girl staring at him. She jumped and looked away, as if there was anything she could possibly be more interested in. "It was nothing at all."
He studied each of the natives with fascination. First was the old man. Yosho liked him instantly. His face was rough and wrinkled but it was an honest one. His eyes were barely even slits in his head but they still managed to glimmer brightly.
The other girl, whom Yosho assumed was the old man's other daughter was also quite attractive. Her hair was done up in a knot situated on the back of her neck, unlike Kasumi, whose hair flowed down across her back. This girl was shorter than Kasumi, and seemed a bit more delicate, though her body was tight and strong, rather compact.
Yosho thought that the fragility seemed to stem more from her demeanor than her physical attributes. She seemed shy, but open at the same time, he noted to himself. He couldn't tell much about the little girl standing behind Naoko other than she was probably frightened by Yosho or Ryoko, or maybe both.
As for the other two men, whom Yosho decided were doing a poor job at putting up a brave front, he easily categorized them as the sloppier members of the group. Both wore brown rags tied with rope to hold the tattered pieces together. Though roughly the same height, one was much bigger than the other. Not so much fatter as built on a much huskier frame.
The Big One held a spear with a fish comically skewered through the middle. The slimmer man's hair was wild and pointy. It was restrained somewhat by a white and red bandanna worn over his forehead. This man's eyes were even more slit than the old man's and only opened when he was excited or angry. Being the first Earthling's he had met outside of his mother, Yosho found the lot to be somewhat like he expected Earthlings to look like, but not quite.
Making up his mind he grabbed the hilt of the Tenchi-ken, ready to have Funaho send out the signal.
"Sorry I, uh... yelled at you sir," Atsushi apologized sheepishly, "um...I'd offer you a place to stay, but, well, you burned my house down." Atsushi made a whoofing noise as Yuji punched him in the stomach.
"That ain't polite, you jerk!"
Atsushi, growled angrily. "Would you stop hitting me, you fat idiot!"
Yuji yanked Atsushi's ear while Atsushi bit Yuji's head. Yuji took his spear and held it under Atsushi's neck, choking him and causing his eyes to bulge. Atsushi responded by poking Yuji's eyes with his index and middle finger.
The two began beating each other senseless, leaving Yosho surprised, but not Masaki or the others who were used to seeing the two fight.
"Uh... listen, I should be going. Like I said, there's nothing to worry about, I'm sorry." With that, Yosho turned toward his tree.
Kasumi saw him turn. "Wait!" she called out softly.
Yosho turned back when he heard her voice. Kasumi's call lingered for a moment. "Father, he's not from around here… can't he stay with us? It's the least we could do for saving me." she pleaded.
Masaki left his daughter's side for the first time since he first arrived. He came closer to Yosho and bowed low. "My name is Yasunori Masaki. I would be honored if you would stay at my home."
Yosho was stunned by the sincerity in the old man's voice.
"Please, Yosho." He heard Kasumi call to him.
Yosho stared intensely at her. Her eyes wanting him to stay. He fixated on her perfect pink lips. Standing next to Kasumi, Naoko also waited anxiously for Yosho to answer.
Yumi decided to speak up, having been silent for so long.
"Where we gonna put him?"
The House
They decided to take the long way back to the Masaki house, giving Yosho a look at the village. Everyone seemed happy as they headed back for town. Yosho chatted with Yasunori most of the way back, Yosho discovering that he was a priest and the de facto chief of the village which he called "Shippoinu."
The two men got along quite easily with one-another, Yasunori Masaki being the kind of man to laugh at the good fortune of his daughter being alive and the village being allright rather than to curse his luck at the damage that had been caused.
Naoko stared at Yosho the entire way home, visibly nervous, but sending out flirtatious signals with her body language every time Yosho glanced her way. Yosho did not return any of the signals. Instead he spent a good amount of time chatting with Kasumi. Naoko's heart sank when she saw the two getting along so well with each other.
"So... um, Yumi put up a good question. Will I be staying at your house?"
Yes." Kasumi responded happily.
"Is that where you will be staying?" Yosho asked casually.
Kasumi paused shortly and smiled. "Yes."
"Who else lives in your house?"
"Just my father and my sister, but often members of my
father's family drop by and stay for a while. And of course, there's Yumi."
Yumi hid behind Kasumi, then peeked her head out from behind Kasumi's leg to get a look at Yosho.
"So... you don't have a husband living at your father's house?"
"No, I'm not married." Kasumi said, grinning. Though some people would like to change that. She thought, thinking of the young man called Seikou Seikou.
"With so many people to look after, your mother must be a busy woman."
Kasumi's voice lowered. "My mother died several years ago."
"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't realize..."
"It's okay." she dismissed.
Yosho feared he might have touched a nerve, and changed the subject.
"So, you and Naoko are sisters?"
Naoko, hearing her introduction, quickly walked over to Yosho and Kasumi.
"I thank you for your help, Lord Yosho," Naoko said eagerly, "and am glad you will be staying with us while you are at our village." she added.
"Well, I thank you for letting me to stay at your home." Yosho replied curteously.
Naoko stared into Yosho's eyes for what seemed like forever, which was fine with her. She wished that she could go on staring, but she soon found that Yosho had already turned his head away...towards her sister... The group entered the village, the fires put out, a few houses still smoldering.
"Masaki-dono, where were you?!" a voice boomed at them.
The owner of the voice was a young man, maybe Kasumi's age. He was totally bald, except for at the base of the back of his head where a short black pony tail emerged. He held a spade in one hand, a shovel and bucket in the other hand. The man did not look very happy.
"Seikou," Masaki began, "this is Yosho. He saved my Kasumi." Masaki continued, deciding not to divulge the entirety of the story. Seikou Seikou was the only rich young bachelor in town. His family was enormously wealthy, being a branch of the Ashikaga family, one of the oldest and most influential families in all of Japan.
Many of the eligible young girls vied for his attention though they did not love him, only the idea of escaping a life of poverty. But not the Masaki daughters.
"He stopped the demon who burnt the village!" Atsushi blurted out to Masaki's dismay. "Yep, he chased the demon into town." Yuji added.
Seikou wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. He walked up to Yosho and glared at the Juraian, unimpressed and almost angrily, he grunted at Yosho.
"Hrmph...well your demon just destroyed my fields!" Seikou said.
"It wasn't my ship that burnt your village." said Yosho, showing no
anger towards Seikou's accusation. "But I am sorry for the damage to
your land." he offered.
"Well you brought it here, so I suggest that you fix what you have burnt!"
"Seikou!" Masaki yelled, "that is no way to treat a guest of our
village."
Seikou fell silent, a sour look on his face.
"I apologize," Seikou said dourly, "Kasumi, I'm glad to see you're okay." he said softly, overemphasizing his concern for her.
"...thank you..." she responded meekly.
"Yosho is staying with me." Yasunori Masaki added.
"At the shrine?" Seikou Seikou asked.
"No, that's not right for a guest. He'll stay in my home."
Seikou Seikou sucked in his breath. The outrage! A complete stranger staying in Kasumi's home.
"Masaki-dono, I-" Seikou started.
"How is your family?" Yasunori interrupted.
Seikou Seikou visibly twinged. "...they're, I'm sure they're fine. They don't need me anyway, they're on the edge of town, far away from the damage."
"Why don't you go check on them?" Yasunori replied coldly. "I'm going to get an idea on the damage." Masaki said as he and his clan walked by Seikou, still astonished by Yosho's invitation to stay at the Masaki house.
Just then Atsushi and Yuji quickly sped by, panting and running as fast as they could. Yuji ran into Seikou knocking him to the ground. "Hey, watch it!" Seikou yelled angrily, suddenly realizing he had been knocked into a big pile of horse crap. This hasn't been my day. Seikou thought to himself.
Yosho looked around at all the tiny little huts littering the streets. Many people were black with soot. Some were crying, others working to rebuild the damage. Masaki took Yumi, Yuji and Atsushi to help one of the families leaving the others behind. Again, a guilty impulse crossed his mind. Kasumi noticed him frown.
"I wish I could have stopped this..." said Yosho, "I didn't intend for
her to go this far." he paused. "I'm sorry."
Naoko watched the pair from a distance, listening in on their conversation.
Kasumi, kneeling over the remnants of a broken jar, spoke to Yosho.
"You didn't mean for this to happen, did you?" she said.
"No." Yosho answered curiously.
"And you couldn't stop this from happening?"
"I tried."
"But you couldn't"
"No, I couldn't, but-"
Kasumi turned her head around. "Then this isn't your fault. And there's nothing to forgive." Kasumi smiled.
"Yosho. You saved me. Don't forget that."
Yosho blushed.
"Because I won't." she said smoothly.
Hidden, Naoko frowned.
The Village
The fires were taken care of. When the group had rejoined, Yasunori Masaki insisted they head back to the Masaki house. Atsushi and Yuji politely declined, ashamed of entering the old priest's home when they were so pitiful.
"Masaki-dono!" A voice called.
"What is it?"
"Kobayashi Seikou's house is still on fire!" the man said, pointing to the large house in the middle of the village.
Masaki sighed in exasperation. Kobayashi Seikou was Seikou Seikou's uncle. Seikou Seikou lived with his father Goro Seikou, whose luxurious ranch home was just north of town. Seikou's uncle was an obnoxious rich fool who preferred living in the middle of the village to show off his wealth. Though he was obnoxious, it was Goro Seikou who had the reputation for being particularly nasty and cold-hearted.
"(sigh) Kasumi, take your sister home, and show our guest his room." Masaki replied as he left to fight the fire.
"Masaki-dono," Yosho said quickly, "please, let me help you." he pleaded sincerely.
Masaki thought about it for a moment.
"Alright. I'm indebted to you enough as it is though... I appreciate your help."
"You owe me nothing." Yosho replied.
"Kasumi, take Yumi and Naoko home."
"Father..."
"It's alright, we'll be fine."
"Good-bye Yosho, I'll see you in the morning!" Naoko hollered.
"I'm sure we'll be there in a few minutes!" Yosho responded.
A Hard Day's Night
Five hours later, a very burnt Yosho and Yasunori made the trek up a long set of dirt steps. They entered the home to find the room that Ryoko had smashed loosely boarded up in a comically rigged fashion.
The two men stared at it for a moment, their clothes still sizzling.
"...well... here it is." said Yasunori.
"Get some sleep."
The old priest slammed the door, leaving Yosho alone.
"What have I agreed to?" he moaned aloud to no one.
He flopped down on the floor mat in exhaustion. What a day… he thought to himself.
Maneuvering his pillow under his head, he heard a rustling noise. He lifted the pillow to find a piece of rice paper with a carefully signed note attached.
"Don't forget" was all it said.
Yosho remembered Kasumi smiling at him, and again he felt that rush of electricity across his skin. The same feeling he felt the first time he kissed Airi. Hearing a noise at the door, he turned his head and saw a figure peeking in through the crack. The figure lingered for a moment then walked back to bed. Yosho rolled back over.
I couldn't if I tried! It was Yosho's last thought before he fell asleep.
END EPISODE ONE
Author's comments:
I hope you enjoyed it. In my opinion, it is much better than what I originally submitted well over five years ago. This story was heavily influenced by Shichinin no Samurai and the works of James Clavell. I've always wanted to finish this story, and the last five years have changed who I am, so the story was bound to change as well, which is why I decided to rewrite these first chapters before I told the rest of the story. I hope the rest of the story turns out as well as I think this one did. See ya soon!
PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE:
A new girl with short black hair screaming something.
A red glowing sphere of energy in Atsushi and Yuji's hands.
The same girl from above, only shocked and naked.
Yosho, Kasumi, the girl, Atsushi and Yuji racing downhill through a forest.
Horses carrying several men into a village.
A large explosion.
A river of trees flowing down a mountain in a landslide.
A man in dark clothing, smiling wickedly.
PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS and PLACES
Residents of the village of Shippoinu:
Yasunori Masaki- Age 54, The respected head of Shippoinu, priest and shrinekeeper. Father of Naoko and
Kasumi Masaki- Age 21, Eldest daughter of Yasunori, she is the head of the Masaki house as is custom in Japan. Beloved by the entire village for her personality, strength and kindness, she is considered one of the most beautiful women in Okayama. She has one sister,
Naoko Masaki- Age 19, Beautiful but self-conscious when compared to her sister. Naoko can practice Japanese customs of calligraphy, tea-ceremony, and Poetry (like her father) with great skill that, when seen, is admired by all. She is enamored with Yosho, and is directly in charge of watching over
Yumi Iraga- Age 6, Resident of the Masaki household. Oddly perceptive for her age and often very to-the-point.
Yuji Bunto- Age 20, Impoverished peasant who lives on the outskirts of Shippoinu, where Yuji and his best friend Atsushi sleep every night in the branches of a tree overlooking a field. Though not particularly fat, Yuji has a very large, slightly oafish frame. He is instantly recognizable by his trademark spear with a fish skewered on the blade.
Atsushi Iraga- Age 20, Friend of Yuji. Like his companion, Atsushi is prone to fits of whining and self-pity. Always searching for a scheme to get-rich and escape their miserable lot in life, Atsushi refuses to submit himself to the norms of the poor peasant people he was born amongst. He is also easily identified for his tattered clothing, slit eyes and trademark bandanna.
Seikou Seikou- Age 21, Named Seikou twice by his father, Seikou is stuck up and demanding. The hardest worker in the village, Seikou often complains that nothing will get done unless he does it himself. Even though he works hard, he is still the richest man in town, being heir to the very wealthy Seikou Family. Strangely, Seikou never likes to talk about his family, only his wealth and status in the community. It is no secret that Seikou has his eye on Kasumi for his wife, and the village naturally expects Kasumi to wed him.
The Buntos and Iragas- The families of Yuji and Atsushi. Their respective fathers have a business together and live under the same roof. Due to cramping, they kicked Atsushi and Yuji out of the house to go live in the tree on the edge of town.
The Seikous- The only wealthy families in Shippoinu. The Seikou clan owns two houses in Shippoinu, one for the younger brother Kobayashi Seikou and his wife, Rumiko. The couple have no children and love to flaunt their vast amount of money. Rumiko is the town matchmaker.
The older brother is Goro Seikou, who owns a luxurious ranch home was just north of town, which is known for having many relatives of the Seikou family visit often. Goro Seikou, and the Seikou family in general are hated by everyone in town, where the Seikou name is a swear-word. Goro has the reputation for being particularly nasty and cold-hearted. Goro and his wife have four children, aged 9 months, 3, 5, and 21. Seikou is their eldest son, and heir apparent of the Seikou family fortune.
The Village- The village of Shippoinu is a part of the three-village section of Japan called Okayama. The inhabitants of Shippoinu are peasants of no wealth whatsoever, constantly plagued by famines, fires, earthquakes, illness, and worst of all, taxes owed to the feudal lord called a "Daimyo." On the north side of town is where Atsushi and Yuji's tree is located along with Goro Seikou's home. The village has a small river on the west side and mountains to the east. The Masaki house is located just outside of town, the east side on a hill. On the other side of this hill is where Ryoko's ship crashes when it is shot down by Funaho.