Shinku Raikou (Crimson Lightning)

-Chapter One-

The city was bustling with merchants, buyers, citizens and samurais. It was a popular place for the samurai community to seek out and hide if needs be. Most were pathetic wannabies extorting money, rice or more from the poor folk in need. Heck, more than half of them couldn't use their own katanas properly!

Rikichi groaned, complaining his feet were hurting along with his back, the sacks of rice, the last of the crops, slung on his back. Komachi yawned tiredly from his arms, the young girl in desperate need of some decent sleep. Kirara kept up leading them through the busy, crowded streets, determined to find samurai willing to help. Beside her was a woman cloaked in black with the hood pulled up, all which could be seen was a black mask covering her face, black and gold marks across the mask, eyes hidden.

"Quit your whining Rikichi," she groaned herself, "you're a farmer, you're used to walking."

"Easy for you to say Yuki-sama," he grumbled while she chuckled behind the mask.

Once amongst the masses Kirara spun the water crystal but it didn't light their way. Samurai walked past them along with the normal citizens, Komachi looked at a food stall.

"I'm hungry..." she whimpered.

Yuki put a gloved hand on the young girl's shoulder, "wait here, I'll get us something to eat."

Komachi looked up at her mask wistfully, "really?!"

She laughed and nodded, "I still have a little money left, enough for us some food."

Vanishing into the food stall, she came back with roasted squid on a stick for each of them. They all tore into their own greedily, Yuki wasn't eating though.

"Aren't you hungry?" Komachi asked with a mouthful.

"I'm fine for now, thank you for the concern," she ruffled the girl's hair.

A man suddenly came swinging from above and aimed to jump on Rikichi's back for the rice. Rikichi fell and the man ran off with the woven basket of rice.

"THIEF!!!" Komachi yelled at the top of her voice as Rikichi went after him futilely, "SOMEONE STOP THAT THIEF!!!"

Kirara looked at Yuki who nodded, "come along, its best not to split up here," she grabbed both of their hands and pulled them through the crowds to see a young samurai with long, tied back hair stop the thief, the basket of rice go flying. Yuki let go of their hands and made a dive, catching the rice before it could spill.

"Score for me!" she called happily to them.

Rikichi bowed on the ground to the young samurai, "honourable samurai, thank you, thank you so much."

"Eh, it was nothing," the boy replied sheepishly.

Yuki stood, the rice basket on her shoulder, "that was a close one, thank you," she bowed her head. They started walking around, the young samurai leading them and the rice on Rikichi's back again.

"Goodbye," he said before walking off.

"Wait Samurai-sama," Rikichi called but Kirara shook her head.

Yuki watched him go silently, watchful eyes hidden behind the darkness of her mask.

"A ROBBER!!" people shouted and ran past them.

The water crystal glowed and moved towards the commotion. Kirara ran forwards, Yuki following behind her as they came out to the front of the crowd. There was a shop owner and his wife on their knees, the young samurai Katsushiro listening to them. He willingly agreed to help when a robotic voice came from the crowd. A huge armoured samurai suit came out, an equally huge sword resting on its shoulder.

"This is my war to win," he stomped forwards, "yo, owner, I may end up slicing your store in half to save your son."

"Just please save him," he whimpered.

He leapt up and brought his sword down on the store, cutting it in half. Kirara heard Yuki tut beside her.

"He's a show off."

The building fell revealing the robber in armour, a crying babe in his arm, the other holding a katana.

"Hey robber, hand over the kid."

"Are you a samurai?" he asked sounding a little crazy.

"Of course," the automated samurai puffed out his chest.

"Then you know I want to be in the military! I haven't eaten in 10 days!" now he sounded crazier, "I want a war and nothing can stop me on this path!"

The huge samurai brought his sword up but the robber pulled back his coat to reveal dynamite strapped to his waist. People started running away, screaming in case it exploded. Yuki pushed her three friends back lightly, "stand back, I think it's time I got involved."

Yuki walked forwards, past Katsushiro who looked at her shocked, and past the automated samurai.

"Oy, oy!" the samurai turned his head to her; "you can't walk in on samurai business."

"I'll let you know when I see a samurai then," she retorted.

He blew steam through the small chimney beside his helmet-head, "why you!"

Yuki carried on walking towards the robber who looked at her as if she had two heads.

"Are you crazy? Or do you want to die along with the kid?!"

Behind her Komachi pulled against Rikichi, "Yuki-chan!!" she cried.

Said woman stopped a meter from him, "aren't you big and tough, bringing a child into a fight, that's a coward's excuse," she chuckled, "you wouldn't last five minutes in the army."

"You bitch!" he yelled at her tossing the kid into the air.

The mother screamed, her husband gasping in horror. Yuki turned to Katsushiro and held out a hand.

"May I borrow your sword?"

He looked at her shocked but took too long to answer and she took it for herself. Moving forwards towards the robber, she brought the sword down with both hands before spinning and bringing it back up. Jumping back she caught the babe in her arm and it giggled quietly. Yuki smiled behind the mask as the dynamite fell from the man, cut at the wires and made harmless. Handing the sword back she nodded to Katsushiro.

"Thank you."

Handing the child back to his parents they thanked her furiously but she shook her head, "you don't owe me anything, just take care of that cute boy," before heading back to her friends.

Komachi leapt on her in a fierce hug which she returned.

"You were so cool!" she cried.

"Thank you Komachi," she looked back at the shocked robber, his eyes wide, "next time you want to start a war, make sure you grow up and turn into a real man."

He feinted on the spot and she laughed out loud. The water crystal glowed and pointed to a man wearing white rags who was walking away. Yuki's eyes narrowed but said nothing as they ran after him.

"He will be the samurai that saves our village!" Kirara announced as they ran.


They lost sight of the famous samurai Kambei and were forced to a halt. Rikichi came running back panting.

"I'm sorry Water Priestess; the samurai was faster than I thought."

"He is a samurai," Yuki sighed, "he's bound to be faster than you; he is one of the Masters."

An imperial wagon was rolling past them when eyes looked out of the blinds and saw Kirara. It ground to a halt and Yuki wondered if to run or not. After a brief paused it set back off again and Yuki silently sighed in relief.

"Will you three be okay if I vanish for a few hours? I will see if I can track down our samurai," Yuki announced.

Rikichi looked ready to argue but Kirara nodded, "be careful, will you be able to find him and us?"

"Of course," Yuki smiled, obvious on her voice, "I will be back by tonight at the most, find some place to shelter, I may have other business after finding Kambei."

Komachi sniffed, "be careful Yuki-chan."

She ruffled the young girl's hair and nodded before turning and walking away into the crowds.

Once out of sight from them, Yuki seemed to vanish into thin air and appeared on several grounds up. It was a higher plain in the huge city and there she watched silently from the shadows as Kambei was joined by Katsushiro. Most likely the young boy was begging for the wise Master to become his teacher. Spotting her three friends she moved from the shadows and waved them over before pointing to Kambei. Kirara nodded and they ran towards him but Yuki hung back so as not to be seen. Watching them go to a place with no one else around, Yuki decided to head down for a while before returning to her search.

Kambei and Katsushiro looked up as she walked over, the younger one looked at her with wide eyes.

"You were the one from the robber, you're swordsmanship was magnificent!"

Yuki chuckled lightly, "thanks."

Kambei looked her over, "are you a samurai?"

"Nope," she sat down beside Komachi who crawled into her lap, "I just know how to use a sword."

"And do you always hide behind a mask?" he asked curiously, "how can you be trusted?"

"Very inquisitive," she remarked, "I wear a mask to protect my identity."

Kirara rose to her defence, "she has been with us for eight years now and even though she wears a mask I and all of the villagers trust Yuki-sama with our lives."

Yuki inclined her head in thanks.

Rikichi told the two samurai about the Nobuseri terrorizing them and needing aid to kill them.

"I will come," Katsushiro said instantly.

Komachi stood up and stated in a matter of a fact way, "sister says you are no good because you have no battlefield experience," Kirara put a hand over the kids mouth and pulled her down embarrassed.

Yuki laughed as Katsushiro blushed lightly. They looked at Kambei.

"I am only versed in losing wars; if I went your village would be destroyed."

"This isn't a war," Yuki interrupted, "more like a massacre flouted because the peasants can't fight back, there is no war, just the fight and fights can be won."

He stood and started walking away. Yuki shook her head.

'He hasn't changed one bit...'

That night Katsushiro was given a bowl of rice while they all ate peasant's gruel, except for Yuki who was leant back against a wall.

"Do you eat at all?" Katsushiro asked Yuki curious.

"Only when I absolutely have to, there is no food to spare and I would rather have the others eat than I."

He smiled lightly, "you follow the samurai code yet are not one, you are a strange person."

"I get that a lot," she chuckled.

The next day they resumed their search. Yuki watched in disgust as most samurai turned Kirara down or ate their rice before turning them down. After the third person did that she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tossed him out.

"Don't give them rice unless they earn it," she reprimanded the three.

Night was soon there again and Yuki rest against a wall, sleep once again eluding her while the others ate.

"I'm going out for a while, I'll see you later," she stood and left before any could say a thing.

Yuki sat on a rooftop high above most of them watching people stroll by. There were some entertaining moments but it was when she saw Katsushiro and the armoured samurai Kikuchiyo running to the palace, her interest was peaked. Jumping from the roof, she landed in front of them.

"Dare I ask what happened?"

Kikuchiyo ground to a halt, "you!!"

Katsushiro rolled his eyes, "Kirara was taken by Ukyo! Or we believe so..."

Yuki sighed, "can't leave five minutes before all hell breaks loose."

Kikuchiyo swung his huge sword round at the carriage breaking the top half off revealing Kirara, Ukyo and his guard.

"Kirara-dono!" shouted Katsu (a/n: his name is too long!!!).

Ukyo and his guard fled while several samurai appeared in their place, one throwing a pointed spike at them. Both Katsu and Kikuchi (a/n: also too long to spell!) lost their weapons pretty quickly so Yuki took charge.

"Come on Kirara!" she pulled her friend with her and leapt over the side, dropping five round of stairs before setting her down, "keep going, I'll hold them off."

One of them leapt at her but Yuki moved aside fluidly like a dancer and spun her foot round, kicking him over the side sending him to his death. Another came at her, a long blade seemingly attached to his arm that swept at her face. Bending backwards, she back flipped and her feet connected with his chin sending him flying into a back flip in the air and falling unconscious. Looking round there were two more that went after Kirara.

Rushing after them, she came to a broken end of the tunnel and pushed the two aside, smacking their heads into the walls and knocking them out. Looking over the edge she could see Kirara falling, Kambei diving after her and grabbing her hand. Kambei stuck his sword into an elevator roof and both hung on until it neared the bottom. His sword was stuck in the gears slowing its descent but they leapt off before it crashed. Yuki breathed a sigh of relief.

"I sweat one of these days I will kill her myself," she rubbed the back of her neck.