Saniwamonogaratari/Saniwa Story
I dont own who you know. OCs are the author's imagination.
Chapter Text
Prologue: recollection
It was a nice home, full of flowers and nicely kept up. Both Matsuno and his partner were surprised at how big the house was. Yamano parked the car in a small parking lot next to the home and saw the blue Honda. Someone was home.
"So, she's the only one left that we haven't talked to", Yamano slammed the car door and walked gingerly in her high heels. "Looks like she did okay in the end though."
"She became a doctor. The government paid her schooling off once she returned". They approached the home. "I guess they wanted to cover things up".
Matsuno skimmed the file. "I mean, the Revision Project got shut down not long after Katagiri-san returned, right? Especially after they found the body of that one girl..."
"It was unfair of the government to do this in the first place", Yamano approached the door first. "I can't imagine what any of those girls must've felt being thrust into something like this. You're out somewhere one minute, things as normal as could be, and the next thing you know you're fighting kebishii or whatever the are and being charged to save history."
"At least some of those men were really good-looking though".
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Just saying that's all. Saw a picture of the oldest one. Looked like he was twenty..." Matsumoto was about to knock on the door when it opened. An elderly, pleasant-looking woman, dressed in a white shirt, jeans and glasses, stood before them."Are you Katagiri-San?" Yamano asked.
"Come in. I've been expecting you." Sakura Katagiri, despite the fact that she was now eighty and had occasional bouts of arthritis, still moved around like the powerful young woman she was. Yamano bowed to her.
"Please pardon the intrusion..." Matsumoto began, but Katagiri waved her off.
"I got a phone call that said you were coming". Katagiri went into her kitchen and came back with drinks and what looked to be different colored cookies. "You wish to speak with me about what happened when I was 20..."
"No offense, ma'am". Matsumoto took a cup as did Yamano, "but...you are a hero."
"I only did what I had to do. I was more concerned with finding out with what happened to the other girl at the time..." The elderly woman took out a picture. Two smiling young women, both dressed in white scrubs, hammed it up in the picture.
"This was Ishida Yui", she explained, "We were first year students doing our rotation in the ER."
Both agents were somewhat familiar with the tale of Ishida-San. A young woman from up country who was found dead and was erased from all thoughts. Yamano felt sorry for the lost girl. Katagiri must've realized what he was thinking because she patted his hand gently. "Do you blame yourself for what happened?" He asked. Matsumoto glared at him. However, the older woman didn't seem to be offended.
"Don't be mad at him", she spoke to his partner. "It's been sixty years. I stopped blaming myself a long time ago." She put the picture away.
"Now then", Katagiri Sakura, the most powerful and successful saniwa of the History Project, known to so little, sat back. "Shall we begin? I know everyone wants to know the juicy parts, like how X was like and who slept with who...but there's some things to start with first."
Matsumoto put on the recorder as the older woman began.
####
1. Two Fates
"You", The city was in full New Years party mode and Yui had desperately wanted to party with someone. Then go see the sun rise. She grabbed the arm of her closest friend and begged her, "are coming with me tonight!"
"I can't." Sakura smiled sweetly, "I got to work twelve hours tomorrow, remember?" Secretly, she really could've cared less; when she was younger, she got money on New Years, but as an adult, especially once she started college (and once her relatives, what little there had been left in the first place,began dying off. She had been raised by her grandparents in the country and lived with her uncle during high school), she could've cared less.
"You are like, such an old lady." Yui made a face.
"Come on, you know I don't do parties well..."
The women began to walk off campus and towards Sakura's place. Yui still lived with her parents.
"Please Sakura?" Yui got on her hands and knees, much to Sakura's embarrassment, who immediately begged her to get up.
"Why me?" Sakura sighed. "Why not ask Rena or Amaya-San?"
"I don't know English to talk to Amaya and Rena-chan is like, 300 pounds."
"If Rena was 300 pounds, she wouldn't be able to get around..."
"The guys like you though!" Yui grinned. Sakura blushed. Then she looked around. The New Year's crowd was out in full force. Sakura was very attractive; she was a little taller and muscular than Yui or other girls her age but with dark brown hair and eyes the color of jade, people were attracted to her. Add on the fact that she was known for being a hard worker with a laid back personality, people liked her. Except for Sakura's tendency to sometimes be too honest...
However, she had a complex about her body...thanks to developing early.
"If you say they like my boobs..." She blushed.
"You are lucky though. You have a pretty killer body." They began to leave the city as more houses were spaced apart. Yui took out her phone.
"We lost?"
"I could've sworn the guys were around here..." Yui tried to call. "Shit, my phone isn't working."
"Neither is mine." Sakura looked around. "Weird. This looks different." And it did. Both women found themselves in a forest...or what appeared to be one.
"Sakura...this isn't the city..."
"I saw this on a show once. A woman just passed a rock and she winds up in medieval Scotland or England..."
"This isn't a joke..." Yui did not take to things well. Unlike Sakura, who usually kept calm, Yui had a tendency to panic easily.
"Relax. We'll just retrace our steps.."
A shadow of a figure followed them from behind...
####
Two more figures were watching silently as well: a man dressed in Heian era garb and a fox. "Ah...she does look like her, huh?"
"I'm certain that she's the one." The fox spoke, as they noticed the men following the two women. "Her spirit energy is high."
"I suppose we shall find out. She's cute like Aruji was." The man covered his mouth and smiled.
####
"Good evening", the first man,a hulk of a man, bowed to the women. "You ladies look a bit lost."
{Something is wrong.} Sakura bowed politely. "We were, but we have found our way back."
Another man(was it a man? They were dressed in white, like a temple priest of old.) appeared. In the back a creature that reminded Sakura of a centipede lurked...
"What do you want?" Yui was trembling. Sakura's heart was pounding as well. {Stay calm.}
"Unfortunely...we want you to die".
The man took out his sword and pointed it at them. His companion smirked. He eyed Sakura.
Her blood ran cold.
"It seems that this one is who want," He spoke. He began to walk up to her...until Yui tackled him. In shock, Sakura just stared and gasped, "Yui?"
"Go!"
But the women were being attacked as Sakura watched the man's big sword go into Yui and felt her body being slammed against the rock as the priest threw her. She felt something pierce her side.
{This isn't happening. This did not happen.}
####
"Awake." A voice cut thru the pain and tears. "I'm healing you now."
Her eyes opened as she expected to find herself wracked with pain. Instead...her body was fine. She sat up slowly.
"I finally found a saniwa who is worthy of this task. No way am I going to let you die!"
The fox was sitting next to Sakura. His companion from before had disappeared for now.
"I'm...I'm dreaming right? Because a fox just talked to me." She noticed the fox's face. "You are a fox, right? Or are you a yokai?"
"I am alive indeed. You can pet me."
Sakura then noticed what looked like five swords.
"My name is Konosuke. I am, what you might call a guardian." Konosuke then walked over to the swords. "The history of this current age is in trouble. There are those who are born with the ability to change objects into living beings."
"Huh?" She rubbed her head. "Where's Yui?" Then she remembered. "Is...is she dead? I need to contact the police!"
"The men who attacked you were, at one time, noted swords of heroes in history", the fox continued. "They were once like these." He nodded towards the swords before him. "However, they became corrupted."
"Corrupted?"
"They died without fulfilling a wish. Like ghosts. They wish for history to remain in chaos."
"And they attacked because they think I'm this saniwa person..." Sakura tried to wrap her head around it. "Is that why they killed Yui?" Tears began to form,"oh my God..."
"My guess is that they only took your companion, thinking you were dead. Perhaps, they intend to use her". The fox then changed the subject. "Now then, Katagiri Sakura-San...choose one sword to begin with."
"..." {Why?} she looked them over. "They're all beautifully made. I know some fighting, but I've never dealt with swords."
"You will have to fight. I will not deny that." Konosuke continued. "Only for a short time. However, there is a chance of death."
"That's not exactly comforting". She picked up a sword. "Okay. I'll take this one. It seems to fit me well"
"Ah. You chose Yamanbagiri."
Sakura blinked for a minute and saw a figure draped in white kneel before her.
"...Holy Shit..." She stared. The figure was a blonde man,draped in a blanket and wearing western clothing and he stared right back at her. She blushed.
{a guy just appeared out of nowhere. Did I do this..}
"You, my dear saniwa, are among those who can summon beings out of swords. They will serve as your army."
"What's with that look?" He introduced himself and glared at Sakura. "Is it because I'm a duplicate?"
"Of course not!" She sighed. "I'm very happy to meet you, Yamabagiri-kun."
He blushed again and Sakura smiled. {he's cute.}.
"This is a uchigatana", Konosuke explained. "You'll receive all kinds of swords."
"I haven't committed to anything..." She looked at him sternly. "Why me? Why not Yui?"
"You do not have a choice". The fox began to walk away. The sword man followed. "Come. Let me show you where you will be stationed."
####
The fox lead her and Yama to a small building complete with a barn and what appeared to be a small temple. Sakura looked around once inside. "This is awfully big..." She looked as Yamanbagiri picked out his room. She smiled.
"These will be where your swords sleep", Konosuke was talking. "The refinery where your men will be fixed is over here..."
"Um, aren't they supposed to be like Yama?"
"Even though they are in human form, they are still swords." In the refinery, a blacksmith was working. He stopped for a second and gave Sakura a friendly grin. "A newcomer, huh?" He wiped the sweat off. "Welcome."
She bowed her thanks.
"Here you go." The man gave her another sword. This one was smaller than Yama's sword. "This here is a tantou."
She picked it up. For a minute, a few flower petals flew past her{Sakura flying past Sakura} and then a child appeared...with what appeared to be white tiger cubs. "H..hello, I'm Gokotai" the child seemed rather shy and a little timid.
Sakura was horrified{He's like, seven} but...she fell in motherly love.
{I want to protect this kid.} a cub rubbed against her.
"I'm happy to meet you", she petted the cub. "Gokotai-kun." The tantou boy smiled happily. "my name is Sakura. I guess, I'm your master..."
"I...it's so nice to meet you, Sakura-niisama...Yuki, get down from there!" Another cub had climbed up on Sakura's head.
"You must've been the one who bought that horse and some of the resources I've seen outside!" The smith ruffled the tantou child's hair.
"I hope it helps!" He nodded happily.
"It does." Sakura hugged him, making the boy blush. "Thank you. Why don't you go pick out a room? Don't mind Yama-chan. He's a sword too."
The boy ran off excitedly with his tigers behind him, except the one who was asleep on Sakura's head. She lifted it gingerly and put the cub down, asleep, on the table. Then she grew serious. Konosuke had been watching silently.
"Two swords, your first day. You'll have time to summon more."
"I'll commit to this fully", Sakura picked up the fox, much to his surprise, "but I want some questions answered first: 1. Am I seriously going to have children fight for me in this? Because I really feel uncomfortable about this!"
"I told you, you'll have all sorts."
"If I may", the blacksmith interjected, "A lot of the Tantous are pretty good fighters. I know it's strange to see children in war, but have faith. It'll be fine."
"Fine." She leaned against the wall. "Secondly...how can I find out about Yui?"
"You should forget about her for now." Konosuke didn't mean to be blunt but he had a feeling where the other woman possibly went. He couldn't tell this one yet though. "I promise though...I will keep an eye and ear for her."
####
Yui was in pain.
When she came to, she found herself with one of the men who had attacked her and Sakura. "I'm sorry for that", he was completely different from before.
"My wound..." Yui sat up and noticed that her wounds were gone. Something in her body was not right however.
"Your body will recover." The priestly figure spoke up. "So...they found their champion...and we have ours".