3/4/01
Disclaimer: the characters in this fic belong to Hudson Soft, not me
Dedication: God, my parents, my friends, Xion, Flyby, Alica, Curt, StarryPeach, VGuyver, my 'brothers'/cousins, and all the people who read my fics
Bloody Roar III: Confirming Priorities
Hang in there… I'm going to help you…
Rough skin met a cool chill as the hard red plates were slipped on, bumping into shoulder blades. The familiar feel of metal arm guards brushed against the hands as a determined grunt lingered in the air. Dark brown bangs dangled freely before the face, to the person's slight distaste and vague irritation. As they were hastily brushed away, the rest of the body shifted, clothed in light burgundy, the material clinging on tightly.
They will understand… right…?
Light clinks were heard as black tabi walked upon the serene sidewalk, careful not to bring much attention. Glancing up, narrowed brown eyes flickered at the sight of the weakly twinkling stars in the sky, providing faint light in the otherwise shadowy night. Large forest green leaves bristled from the strong current of the wind, fighting to stand still and remain unwavering. The breeze flew by the figure, dancing around the muscular form, softly coming in contact with exposed skin.
I want to do this… No, I need to do this…
A hand clenched into a fist as thoughts of the present events ran through their mind, clouding sensibility. Lips curled into a frown, and the body became tensed, a hidden power inside invoking to be let out. The silent inward protests raised agitation and the person willed it down, narrowing their eyes into a nonchalant expression.
"…You're going?"
Face features twisted into a slight scowl at the quiet inquiry and gentle footsteps that prodded behind. Trying to ignore the care that was clearly noticed in the voice, the figure walked on ahead, head ducked, conscience nagging at the cold reaction.
"W-wait up…!" was the immediate response to his activity.
Please don't… "This… this doesn't concern you…" he remarked as he heard the sounds of the newcomer softly jogging over to him.
"Yes, it does…" came the firm counter as he was caught up to. "I-I want to come along…"
Concern glimmered in him and he whirled around all of a sudden, startling his companion. Placing his hands firmly on each of their shoulders covered by white cotton sleeves, he met the other pair of chocolate brown eyes, an intense look in his own pupils, as he said in a low tone of voice, "No, you shouldn't…"
Taking note of his serious mood, she shook her head stubbornly, her waist-length auburn swirling around her petite, curvy figure. "I have to go help her too… and since you want to assist him, maybe we should go together… It's better than being by yourself…" Don't refuse me…
"B-but… I don't want you entangled into this mess…"
He received a sideways glance. "…Why? I can take care of myself. I have combat skills."
"What if something happens to you?" The young male teenager questioned. "I mean, I myself also need to watch out for things…"
She let out a soft sigh and stepped back from his touch, her slender legs shivering as the dark blue shorts encircling them offered a fragile barrier to the cold night air. Her arms dangled freely by her sides, the long white strip of material covering over her front brushing lightly against her fingertips as they swayed in the breeze. One of her hands was tucked behind her back, holding onto a strap that was attached to another object. "I'm your best friend… not a little sister…"
He smirked slightly, then glanced away. "Well, not my little sister, anyway…"
A bit of pink flush dotted her cheeks. "Um, yeah, I know…"
"It's late… you have school tomorrow…"
"And so do you!" She hissed in a hushed tone. "But I doubt that you'll be there tomorrow, am I right?"
"…I need to go help-"
Another sigh pushed pass the lips of the five-foot tall female. "I know, you need to go help Yugo… Let me come with you."
"Yugo and I will come back with Alice… he wouldn't leave her behind. You don't need to worry about that."
"I want to contribute," she persisted, placing her hands on both sides of her waist. "I'd like to help out my own sister, you know…"
"Yeah, but still…"
"…I don't want to sound snide or anything, but I'm still going with or without your consent." Their eyes met a bit uneasily. "I mean, it would be nice for fellow zoanthropes to assist each other… but I'm going to help Alice no matter what. I owe her that much, Kenji."
"…You're really going through with this?" Kenji Ohgami tensed up slightly as he asked that.
She nodded in reply, her gaze earnest and confident, and her fifteen-year-old companion narrowed his eyes at her action.
Argh… you don't understand… "Why?!" The dark-haired male ninja arose to his full height, trying to look intimidating by his two-inch advantage over her.
"Because Alice-"
"…And w-what if I don't watch over you? Just left you on your own…?" His attempt to keep his voice steady was slowly beginning to falter as he reluctantly spewed the fibs. I wouldn't do that, though… never to you, Uriko.
"You would… really do that to me?" The look on Uriko Nonomura's face turned a bit hurtful.
No, not a chance. "…Maybe," he lied.
"Why are you being like this…?" Her brows knit together into a frown. "I'm fifteen years old, like you are… I'm not a child."
This Beast Emblem problem could cause a lot of unexpected conflicts… "Can't you listen to me?"
"I need to make my own decisions…" was her soft reply. "I don't understand why you're so concerned… I'll be fine." She held a battle-ready fist up for emphasis, letting it rest against her chest.
I don't want anything to happen to you because of me… I would never forgive myself. I care about you too much. "…Who else is going to continue the Nonomura family line?" He kidded weakly.
The Kenpo student scuffed. "Very funny, Kenji. Who else is going to continue the Ohgami family line, hmm?"
My brother, when he survives this ordeal… But this could go on for a while… "…You really want to come."
"Yeah," she told him firmly. "It's a really strong gut feeling, and I've learned to trust them."
"…Look, this could be pretty dangerous, Uriko-"
"Then what is your excuse…? I mean, how come you can… risk yourself for a loved one, but I can't do the same?"
"Because… I don't really care about what happens to me as long as Yugo comes out of this unscathed. His Beast Emblem power is making him lose control over his beast form, and that is scaring him. He wants to go and stop the problem by himself, but of course, Alice insisted on going with him. Still, I don't really think that just the two of them can solve this…"
"…And that's why you want to help, right?" The female zoanthrope looked at him intently, compassion in her eyes.
"Yeah…" her companion replied.
"But… if you don't care what happens to you…" her voice grew soft. "I care…"
I care about you too… A lot more than you know… "I need to prove to others and… myself… that I can do this, that I'm not weak or cowardly… And that I can stand up for myself."
"…You're thinking about last year, aren't you…" Uriko placed a hand on his arm gently. "What you…did…wasn't your fault, Kenji. It was all thanks to Busuzima and his stupid mind control-"
"I should have been able to fight it!" He blurted out, frustration lingering in the depths of his irises. "Going after my own brother, my caretaker, your master…" You… "And with the intention of ending their lives… I still can't believe that I would even think such things…" His breathing started to come out a bit raggedly at his exclaim, and his hand tightened into a fist.
"…" Sighing inwardly in sympathy, she stepped up and timidly linked her arms together around his neck. "I wish that you had told me about all this before… I was hoping to be able to talk about this with someone else in a similar situation that would understand my feelings regarding my…stay…at the Tylon corporation…"
…Great. Good going, you insensitive jerk… A silent scowl rumbled deep in his throat at himself. "I'm sorry, Uriko…" Kenji murmured apologetically. "I didn't mean to disregard, ignore you, or anything like that…"
"I understand; you have a lot on your mind," her chin went to rest on his shoulder. "I'm here to listen, though… Don't forget that…"
…I need her. He groaned slightly at the thought. Damn it… I don't want her in danger. But I also want her… to go with me… "What would you do if we went our own separate ways…?"
"Well, I'd still go for sure," she answered. "Just by myself, is all. It would be… an interesting experience, I guess… not to have any help, not even from Master Long."
Don't go by yourself… I don't even like the idea of me running off alone… His palms came into contact with the smooth, chilled skin of her bare back when the young ninja wrapped his arms around the middle of her slim figure. "…Come with me." What am I doing…? "Tag along… It wouldn't hurt to have someone watching over me, protecting me… and vice versa, of course…"
A small smile of satisfaction quirked at the corners of her mouth. "I'll do that, Kenji… I'll protect you, I promise. Just… don't leave me behind or anything like that… okay?"
"I wouldn't do that to you." He informed her firmly. I'd hurt myself if I did such a stupid thing to her…
His lips near his ear, she inquired, "It's about an hour away from midnight… Do you want to go now?"
"I think it'd be best…" The dark-haired teenager remarked, retracting his arms and stepping back from her albeit hesitantly, "But tell me what you think… partner."
She chuckled delightfully at the position. "The zoanthropes affiliated with the Beast Emblem seem to show themselves more frequently at night… And Alice left this morning, to go after Yugo, I'm guessing. So we probably don't want to be too far behind the two of them."
"A lot of the events that have been occurring in the city streets… usually in dark areas…"
"Not a surprise," Uriko commented, then brandished a small blue duffel bag from behind. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go back home every night to sleep… so I brought a couple of changes of clothes. There's a couple of shirts in here for you, if you need them."
The mole zoanthrope flushed slightly. "Th-thanks… I didn't really think about those necessities…"
"You were just going to wing it?" A small grin formed over her expression.
"Uh… I guess…" he admitted a bit sheepishly. At least I have money for overnight rooms…
Slinging the strap of the bag over her shoulder, she slowly started to stroll down the sidewalk, motioning for her comrade to follow. "Where do you want to go first?"
"…Alleyways. Places hidden by shadows." Kenji suggested a bit decisively.
She nodded. "All right. We should get going now…"
Smiling behind her back, the young ninja caught up to her and murmured quietly out of the corner of his mouth, "Thanks…"
The Kenpo student grinned, still facing foreword as she walked. "Let's both get out of this safe, okay?"
"Yes, mam," he teased.
Continuing down the path, events of uncertainty hung over in the horizon, refusing to be revealed without further procedure. Two silhouette figures were spotted, leaving their marks behind as they bravely went on, courage for the sake of their loved ones lingering in their hearts. Overhead, the stars twinkled and dark clouds rumbled, foreshadowing horrors waiting in the near future.
The End
Author's Note:
Hurrah, my first game-based Bloody Roar III fic! Does the ending seem kinda like a cliffhanger…? ^^ Well, hope you enjoyed yet another Keniko story I wrote (I'm obsessed, I admit it!! *grins*). The characters in this fic are based on the actual BRIII game, although I dunno if Uriko and Kenji really work together… ^_~0 Ah, well, I made it up so who cares, right?With love for my fans,
Tiger5913
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