JOURNEY TO THE HEAVEN'S GATE
By Kankokage
This is the sequel to Akira, Kankokage of the Three Mountains and a companion to Lord Gale 119's epic story Kira Maraki, Heir to the Heaven's Gate Eye. It is important for you to read Akira completely (37 chapters) and be caught up with Kira before reading this sequel…otherwise it will be quite confusing. All angry reviews complaining about confusion due to not reading those two stories will be dismissed as crazy-talk and removed. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy Journey to the Heaven's Gate!
Oh yeah: please be kind and don't plagiarize. I will catch you and send ninjas to take you down if you do.
PROLOGUE - SANJO VILLAGE
A foul wind wafted across the barren rocks of the high pass of Shunsui, carrying with it the premonitions of fear so often felt before a grand disaster or event; nature's instincts seemed to be on high alert, wary of the darkness rifting through its uninhabited realm. Rain fell in sheets with this wind, so heavy and intense that walking felt more like wading for the three cloaked individuals making their way up the mountainside. Soaked and cold, the three shivered as they ascended, following only the lead of the front-most traveler, this one barely looking up from the ground at all as though leading by some extrasensory means.
"Kira!" shouted out a woman's voice from behind, this belonging to Karasu Sashimi, the famed and villainous summoner from the vast desert expanses of the Country of Wind far to the south. "This is insane! We must find shelter!" The man at the head of the convoy made no response, nor did he deviate or slow his course; rather he pursued onward with the same fervor and rapid pace rising up the rocky hill until it crested, revealing a small crevasse. There, past the cascading streams of rainwater careening off the rocks and beneath the shallow rocky overhang stood a small, wooden shack. Kira Maraki lifted his hood slightly, looked upon the cabin with his remaining eye, and smiled.
"We're here," he said pleasantly.
Inside the dark cabin sat what looked like a pile of dirty rags sitting in the shadows, but at three rapports came at the door, the pile jumped up with a slight scream. The door then burst open, smacking loudly against the wall as a shadowy figure stood in the doorway.
"Wh…Who's there?" stammered a young boy's quivering voice from the now standing pile. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" A few sparks shot out in the dark, and after a second a small candle was lit, revealing the filthy and worn conditions of the boy, dressed in tattered rags with broken sandals with a bowl with some rotten meat and moldy bread. He was no more than twelve years of age, his green eyes aged beyond their years with sorrow, his short brown hair matted and grimy, and his face emaciated from lack of nourishment. Light from the candle reached the doorway and reflected off Kira's rain-drenched face, and the Maraki heir stepped into the cabin, prompting the boy to lean back and slip, falling back onto the floor.
"Young man…" said Kira slowly as Karasu and Raiko Ikazuchi, the electrically white-haired champion of the Country of Lightning entered the cabin, these too dripping wet from the deluge outside. "You do not need to be afraid; we are not here to harm you. We are here to set you free." The boy stared up into Kira's hard face, glancing rapidly over the stranger's features; Kira was a handsome man, seventeen years old, with medium length, dark brown hair that rested a few inches above his shoulders. A large patch covered his left eye, while the other looked down upon the boy, several red lines flickering around his iris.
"Free?" asked the boy after a moment. "I am free. The villagers can't find me here."
"Freedom from persecution is only half the battle…" continued Kira, his Tenmongan eye staring deep into the boy's soul. "Your body is wracked with sorrow and pain. Loneliness fills every inch of your soul. Your emotion is tied up with anger for the wrongs you have received. Freedom from this pain, this sorrow, this anger…this I can give you." The boy stopped quivering and looked up at Kira, then at his travelling companions.
"Who are you people?" asked the boy.
"Kira Maraki…" replied Kira, placing his hand on his chest. "This is Raiko Ikazuchi, and Karasu Sashimi. We are known as Tenchu, and we would like you to join with us in our mission to cleanse the world." The boy stood up and stepped towards Kira.
"Cleanse the world?" he asked. "Of what?" Kira's right eye flashed red as a shuriken-like symbol appeared surrounding the iris.
"Of sin…" replied Kira, closing his eye and turning his face towards the ground.
"Boy," interrupted Karasu from behind Kira. "What's your name?"
"Keishi…" he replied.
"Will you join us?" repeated Kira. "Will you join our mission?" Keishi was silent for several moments as he looked into Kira's face. His lip began to tremble as he though of going out once again into the world, the world that treated him like a demon, like a criminal…
"Yeah, I'll follow you," said Keishi softly. Kira gave a small nod, then collapsed unconscious onto the wooden floor.
"Man, he pushes himself too hard," muttered Raiko while Keishi's face filled with panic. "Hey kid, mind if we hole up here for a while? We'll be leaving as soon as the rain lightens up." Keishi gave a quick nod, his eyes wide in shock as he stared at Kira lying motionless upon the floor.
The torrential rain continued for several hours, but as dawn approached it began to lighten, the opacity of the clouds thinning and gloomy daylight now illuminating the stormy sky. It was in these conditions that the four companions left the rickety cabin and made their way down the mountainside towards a small village at the base. As they neared a high rocky point that overlooked the village, Kira beckoned Keishi to step forward onto the point.
"That village there, do you know it?" asked Kira to Keishi in the gloomy morning.
"Yeah," replied Keishi with a nod. "That's Sanjo Village, where I used to live before going up to the Shunsui pass."
"And how do you feel about that village?" asked Kira, his voice becoming low and smooth. Keishi's lip began to tremble as he thought back onto the horrible treatment received from the people who lived there.
"They called me a devil…" he replied shakily, tears welling up in his sorrowful eyes. "They threw rocks at me…called me a murderer. But I didn't do anything to them! I just wanted somewhere to call home!" Keishi's voice was now in a full cry, the tears now streaming down his face as his emotions began to overwhelm his sensibilities.
"Go on…" said Kira softly, his voice sounded as if he was taking pleasure in Keishi's agony.
"They said I stole people's souls!" continued Keishi. "They said I should never have been born! I hate them! I HATE THEM!!!" Suddenly Keishi felt something upon his back, and he slowly turned his head to see Kira standing behind him, his right hand pressed firmly against Keishi between his shoulder blades.
"I want you to close your eyes and imagine…" said Kira softly, his tone dry and deliberate. "Imagine all the sadness, pain, loneliness, anger, rage, and hatred you feel as being tangible like clay. Roll this clay into a ball with your mind, and hold it together with all your might." Keishi did as commanded and closed his eyes, imagining rolling his emotions all together.
"Done…" he said softly, his eyes closed tightly as the thought of holding all that negative emotion caused his considerable distress.
"Now, imagine moving that ball of clay, that ball of emotion, up to where my hand is against your back. Don't let any of it slip away; keep it held together tightly." Keishi could see in his mind the emotional ball of clay moving towards his back so clearly it almost seemed to be physically happening.
"Karasu, Raiko…" said Kira to his companions who then approached. "Place your right hands next to mine on Keishi's back." The two did as requested, and Keishi began to feel a strange sensation revolving around his body and soul.
"This feels…strange…" said the boy, his mind becoming light-headed and his muscles faltering.
"Hold on to your emotions," commanded Kira. "Don't let them overwhelm you. Stand tall and strong, and heed my voice." Keishi shook his head a little and regained his focus. The feelings, however, began to intensify and he could feel the chakras of Kira, Raiko, and Karasu flowing into him. Horrifying memories pierced through his mind, and his body began to tremble.
It's happening again…
"Don't let go of your control," interrupted Kira. "Hold the collected emotion together, don't let it go. Now…open your eyes and look down upon that village, and release all your tension." Keishi did as Kira asked, and opened his eyes. The village below seemed so filthy now, so putrid and awful, filled with evil and sin. A rush of relaxation then coursed through his body as he released his hold on the ball of emotion in his soul, and Keishi felt, for at least a second, more peaceful and happy than ever in his life.
"Now!" shouted Kira. Chakra rushed into Keishi's body like a raging river, pain overwhelming his senses. A dark cloud began to form before him, extending further and further out until it covered the entire village. Wind raced around the four, pummeling the enshrouded village, and lightning danced maniacally in, around, and below the dark cloud. The rush of chakra increased, and Keishi felt his body would explode, all the while not noticing the increased intensity of the lightning, wind and darkness within the cloud.
After a few moments, however, Kira and the others released their hands from Keishi and his body felt once again at peace, though exhausted to the point of collapse as he fell upon his knees, sweat pouring off his young face.
"I'd say that was successful," said Karasu in a labored, heavy-breathed voice. "You were right, Kira."
"What…are you…talking…?" started Keishi, but before he could finish his eyes caught glimpse of the fading clouds of darkness, now disappearing from the village – or where the village used to be. All that now stood was a wasteland of broken timbers, shattered glass and debris, and dead body after dead body lying in the ruins. Keishi sat motionlessly, his mouth gaping, his eyes filled with horror.
"You did well, Keishi," said Kira after a moment. "Let's get going; we have a long way to go." Kira and Karasu then turned and began to walk away, leaving Keishi with the white-haired Raiko.
"Wh…what…did…?" stammered Keishi dumbly, at which point Raiko placed his hand upon the boy's shoulder.
"Don't worry kid," he said pleasantly. "The first time you kill is always the hardest." Raiko gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then followed after Kira and Karasu. Keishi, however, could not shake his view from the village he had just destroyed, along with all the people he had murdered.
"No way…" he said softly, falling to the ground in tears.
"Keishi…" said Kira, now several paces away. "Let's go." Keishi stood up reluctantly, wiped his tears, and walked away from the destroyed Sanjo village with Kira, Karasu, and Raiko, never to return.
Next chapter: THE SUMMONS
BONUS! Look for chapter 1 here within the next two weeks…maybe. And don't forget to read The Viajante! Yeah, it's a Bleach story, but I can guarantee you will like it no matter what (not a guarantee).