Hey all! Welcome to my second attempt at a fan fic. For those that read
my first, an Inuyasha fic, I apologize. I will finish it at some point. I
know it's cruel to take so long, but I've had a lot going on. I'd
appreciate any comments on this fic. I'm trying to keep Hiko in character,
but there's times where he won't be. I'm also using a small bit of
Japanese here and there. I'm not going to put the translations. The
things I'm using I've come across a lot. If you need explanation, ask and
I will happily provide. This is proving to be a long fic and not
intentionally. It will be just Hiko for a bit but look for the whole gang
to eventually make an appearance. Enjoy the story!
Remember I don't own, I only borrow.
The Brave Ones Chapter One
Hiko Seijuro woke up to a still morning where the air hung heavy. He quietly ate his breakfast of miso soup and felt an ominous feeling hanging on his shoulders. There were no birds singing and the forest around his hut was quiet-too quiet.
"Bah, I'm getting to be like a little, superstitious, old woman jumping at imaginary things," he muttered to himself. He cleaned his breakfast dishes and walked outside to his kiln. After stoking the fire up, he sat in front of the kiln on the well worn log and began contemplating how to fire his newest creations.
The sudden squawking and flapping of birds caught Hiko's attention. He looked up and realized the birds' movements were not natural. "Damn hunters, they know better than to enter this part of my forest," he said as he fingered the katana at his waist. Standing, he grumbled, "Guess it's time to go teach them another lesson."
He left his kiln and began traveling east toward the area he'd seen the birds fly from. His familiarity with the forest and his knowledge of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu allowed him to stealthily move unnoticed in the dense undergrowth. After traveling for a half hour, he estimated he'd reached the place the birds flew from. Suddenly a scream broke through the silent forest. Turning quickly to his left, Seijuro headed toward the sound. He decided against using his god-like speed, knowing that this part of the forest was heavily eroded and had several steep gulches that were easily missed if you weren't paying attention.
As he traveled he hit a game track and noticed the tell-tale scuffs from sandals. Looking closely he could see that five men were following a woman or teenage boy with a burden. Following the track, Seijuro kept his eyes out for any sign of what was going on. After ten minutes of walking, Hiko saw disturbed leaves on the left edge of the track. Cautiously looking over the side, he saw a man had fallen down one of the gulches and broken his neck. Hiko shook his head and muttered, "Damn and they're leaving their trash here too. Someone is going to pay for this."
Another scream broke the air, decidedly higher pitched. Hiko figured it was a woman. He increased his pace up the track. When the track fed into a path up the mountain, and he saw the direction of the footprints, he knew where they must be headed. Now using his god-like speed he ran up the path and circled around on a path he'd used before hoping to cut the intruders off.
As Hiko reached the edge of a clearing, he spotted movement. He opened his mind and immediately sensed two frightened ki and four battle- ready ki. As Hiko observed, the figures became more distinct and a woman became visible. She was running as fast as she could with something clasped to her chest and looking over her shoulder. She turned her head and Hiko felt shock as recognition dawned in his mind. He stood up and looked from the woman back toward the tree line, just in time to see a hail of three arrows break through.
"Noooooo," Hiko screamed as he broke from his hiding place. Time seemed to slow down as each arrow hit its target in the woman's back and she fell to the ground. Her scream drowned out all other sounds as Hiko rushed to her side. A quick look showed that the arrows had hit their targets. She didn't have long. "Yuriko..." Hiko began, before turning to strike another arrow away from them. Growling, he turned toward the tree line and sensing the ki, began toward the attackers. He momentarily acknowledged another sound, but instead focused his attention on removing the threat from himself and Yuriko. Once he locked on one of the men, he used his godlike speed to come at him. The man was trying to nock another arrow. He never got the chance to raise the bow.
"Ryu Tsui Sen!" Hiko screamed as he came down on the man with his katana. Hiko quickly noted the man had a sword at his belt in addition to the bow and arrow. He figured the other men were similarly equipped. A flash of battle-ki was all the warning Hiko needed to evade the cut of a sword another man was bringing toward him. Spinning Hiko called out, "Ryo Sou Sen" as he quickly stopped the would-be attacker. Looking up Hiko noticed one of the men had seen him and begun to run back the way he came. Quickly estimating the distance, Hiko used his god-like speed to cut the man off.
Feeling a flash of wind, the man running for his life pulled up short. Not a moment too soon either, for he felt a prick at his neck. Looking down, his eyes widened to see a katana pressed to his throat. Following the katana back to its hilt, he gasped as he realized the forearm holding the katana was almost as thick as his bicep. Gulping he looked up into black eyes blazing with anger.
"Who do you work for and why are you here?" Hiko growled out. Looking into the fear-filled eyes of his captive, Hiko pushed a tiny bit on the sword and blood slowly began to trickle from the point of the sword. "Please, spare me! I was following orders...that's all! Just let me go," the man wailed out. "I don't like repeating myself, who do you work for?" Hiko's eyes blazed into the man's face. The man closed his eyes and as he opened his mouth, an arrow lodged itself in his back.
Hiko quickly followed the trajectory and spotted the fourth man in the distance. Grabbing the man with the arrow, Hiko pulled him off to the side behind a tree. Looking at the wound, Hiko knew this man didn't have much time.
"Dammit, tell me who you're working for!"
The man raised his head and gasped for air. "Yo....yo...shi.."
"Yoshi?" Hiko shook the man as he asked.
"Yo...shi...da." The man gasped as he choked on his own blood.
"Yoshida?"
Hiko dropped the dead man and turned back toward the clearing. He could only faintly sense the ki of the fourth man and he knew the man was running back to Kyoto with all he had.
Hiko ran with all he had back to the clearing. Crouching down beside the fallen woman, he evaluated the arrows again. He couldn't remove them. It was possible she was already dead. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and lifted her gently. He gasped when her eyes fluttered open.
"Yuriko, what happened?" Hiko stared into the cinnamon eyes of his former lover.
"Hi...ko, I don't ha..have long. Please, y-your son, take him."
"Son? Yuriko what are you talking about?" Hiko's eyes slid from Yuriko's and looked down to the bundle she carefully avoided crushing in her fall. Pulling the blanket away, he looked down to see small eyes closed tight against the strange happenings.
"Takeshi. Hi...ko...pro...tect...him," Yuriko said softly as her eyes closed and her last breath ended.
Remember I don't own, I only borrow.
The Brave Ones Chapter One
Hiko Seijuro woke up to a still morning where the air hung heavy. He quietly ate his breakfast of miso soup and felt an ominous feeling hanging on his shoulders. There were no birds singing and the forest around his hut was quiet-too quiet.
"Bah, I'm getting to be like a little, superstitious, old woman jumping at imaginary things," he muttered to himself. He cleaned his breakfast dishes and walked outside to his kiln. After stoking the fire up, he sat in front of the kiln on the well worn log and began contemplating how to fire his newest creations.
The sudden squawking and flapping of birds caught Hiko's attention. He looked up and realized the birds' movements were not natural. "Damn hunters, they know better than to enter this part of my forest," he said as he fingered the katana at his waist. Standing, he grumbled, "Guess it's time to go teach them another lesson."
He left his kiln and began traveling east toward the area he'd seen the birds fly from. His familiarity with the forest and his knowledge of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu allowed him to stealthily move unnoticed in the dense undergrowth. After traveling for a half hour, he estimated he'd reached the place the birds flew from. Suddenly a scream broke through the silent forest. Turning quickly to his left, Seijuro headed toward the sound. He decided against using his god-like speed, knowing that this part of the forest was heavily eroded and had several steep gulches that were easily missed if you weren't paying attention.
As he traveled he hit a game track and noticed the tell-tale scuffs from sandals. Looking closely he could see that five men were following a woman or teenage boy with a burden. Following the track, Seijuro kept his eyes out for any sign of what was going on. After ten minutes of walking, Hiko saw disturbed leaves on the left edge of the track. Cautiously looking over the side, he saw a man had fallen down one of the gulches and broken his neck. Hiko shook his head and muttered, "Damn and they're leaving their trash here too. Someone is going to pay for this."
Another scream broke the air, decidedly higher pitched. Hiko figured it was a woman. He increased his pace up the track. When the track fed into a path up the mountain, and he saw the direction of the footprints, he knew where they must be headed. Now using his god-like speed he ran up the path and circled around on a path he'd used before hoping to cut the intruders off.
As Hiko reached the edge of a clearing, he spotted movement. He opened his mind and immediately sensed two frightened ki and four battle- ready ki. As Hiko observed, the figures became more distinct and a woman became visible. She was running as fast as she could with something clasped to her chest and looking over her shoulder. She turned her head and Hiko felt shock as recognition dawned in his mind. He stood up and looked from the woman back toward the tree line, just in time to see a hail of three arrows break through.
"Noooooo," Hiko screamed as he broke from his hiding place. Time seemed to slow down as each arrow hit its target in the woman's back and she fell to the ground. Her scream drowned out all other sounds as Hiko rushed to her side. A quick look showed that the arrows had hit their targets. She didn't have long. "Yuriko..." Hiko began, before turning to strike another arrow away from them. Growling, he turned toward the tree line and sensing the ki, began toward the attackers. He momentarily acknowledged another sound, but instead focused his attention on removing the threat from himself and Yuriko. Once he locked on one of the men, he used his godlike speed to come at him. The man was trying to nock another arrow. He never got the chance to raise the bow.
"Ryu Tsui Sen!" Hiko screamed as he came down on the man with his katana. Hiko quickly noted the man had a sword at his belt in addition to the bow and arrow. He figured the other men were similarly equipped. A flash of battle-ki was all the warning Hiko needed to evade the cut of a sword another man was bringing toward him. Spinning Hiko called out, "Ryo Sou Sen" as he quickly stopped the would-be attacker. Looking up Hiko noticed one of the men had seen him and begun to run back the way he came. Quickly estimating the distance, Hiko used his god-like speed to cut the man off.
Feeling a flash of wind, the man running for his life pulled up short. Not a moment too soon either, for he felt a prick at his neck. Looking down, his eyes widened to see a katana pressed to his throat. Following the katana back to its hilt, he gasped as he realized the forearm holding the katana was almost as thick as his bicep. Gulping he looked up into black eyes blazing with anger.
"Who do you work for and why are you here?" Hiko growled out. Looking into the fear-filled eyes of his captive, Hiko pushed a tiny bit on the sword and blood slowly began to trickle from the point of the sword. "Please, spare me! I was following orders...that's all! Just let me go," the man wailed out. "I don't like repeating myself, who do you work for?" Hiko's eyes blazed into the man's face. The man closed his eyes and as he opened his mouth, an arrow lodged itself in his back.
Hiko quickly followed the trajectory and spotted the fourth man in the distance. Grabbing the man with the arrow, Hiko pulled him off to the side behind a tree. Looking at the wound, Hiko knew this man didn't have much time.
"Dammit, tell me who you're working for!"
The man raised his head and gasped for air. "Yo....yo...shi.."
"Yoshi?" Hiko shook the man as he asked.
"Yo...shi...da." The man gasped as he choked on his own blood.
"Yoshida?"
Hiko dropped the dead man and turned back toward the clearing. He could only faintly sense the ki of the fourth man and he knew the man was running back to Kyoto with all he had.
Hiko ran with all he had back to the clearing. Crouching down beside the fallen woman, he evaluated the arrows again. He couldn't remove them. It was possible she was already dead. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and lifted her gently. He gasped when her eyes fluttered open.
"Yuriko, what happened?" Hiko stared into the cinnamon eyes of his former lover.
"Hi...ko, I don't ha..have long. Please, y-your son, take him."
"Son? Yuriko what are you talking about?" Hiko's eyes slid from Yuriko's and looked down to the bundle she carefully avoided crushing in her fall. Pulling the blanket away, he looked down to see small eyes closed tight against the strange happenings.
"Takeshi. Hi...ko...pro...tect...him," Yuriko said softly as her eyes closed and her last breath ended.