Chapter 1: Entering into the Chaotic World
I have done a huge revamp on this fanfiction, because I wrote this two years ago I think and since the anime is out I'm deciding to change it. My writing style has changed and this is kind of bad... A huge character change and there will be more detail. I will be working heavily on this.
Edited: 29/06/2016
"Next".
A young woman sat with twenty other women, all were sweating nervously as they continued to hear the constant banging sounds of rifles and the clashing of cold metal against each other. They had managed to hole themselves up in one of the rooms of the castle with some injured soldiers. The few medics they had were tending with their wounds but it was inevitable that some would die, but it was the least the women could do to was ease their pain. The young female felt daunted with her task and she didn't know what she was to do, but all of these people followed her for some cause and she had to act the part of a leader, even if she wasn't meant to be one. She sat very still as she felt a viscous liquid drip from her cuts, soaking into the fabric of her sleeves. She was hurt, but not as hurt as the other men in the room. The cuts stung, but for some reason she felt vividly alive with each ooze of blood dribbling down. Each drop represented her life, slowly oozing away from her and it gave her a sense of thrill.
"Check if your rifles are loaded", Takeko said mumbled softly, she thumbed her bullets. They were strange little metal balls, that didn't look like much and weren't that heavy. But the damage they could do combined with the black powder she had in her pouch was enough to kill someone. She wasn't particularly fond of guns or machinery, she felt that they were weapons that cheated a real fight, there was no honour nor pride to be taken when you killed a person with this contraption. "Remember, do waste your movements, every strike counts", she added, she tried to think back to time where there was no war and there was peace. But as she thought about it, this country which she called her home was always in war, and when not in war there was this constant tension which made people vibrate with the feeling of apprehension and fear. The fear that another would break out, and they were right. After all, a country not in war was a country preparing for the next war. She lips thinned at the thought, it was strange for her to think like that but she couldn't really see this situation in a bright light.
The women nodded as they worked, loading their rifles and fastening their weapons. Although the other women were in a nerve-wrecking turmoil, Takeko could only felt oddly calm, her body was relaxed and her breathing was even. The women drew their naginata's closer to them, they held onto their weapons tightly, their knuckles turning white and their leader could understand them. It was something that no-one truly would ever want to participate in unless forced upon. But she knew men who would gladly go to war, and she admired them. But she also thought of them to be foolish, the age of warriors was dying and soon they would be a legend. She knew that, and she knew after this battle the age of samurai would soon be coming to and end. How sad was it? Centuries of history would be washed away with the mark of technology. How sad indeed, but the young woman felt that she wouldn't even be able to witness that.
"You...you are Nakano Takeko?" One of the injured men said, his voice wary. He eyed the women and their weaponry, but he focused most of his attention on their leader. Nakono Takeko, one of the few woman who was trained in martial arts and combat. He knew of her accomplishments and her heritage, but because of that he didn't quite believe such a noble could be holed up in this hellhole with along the likes of these soldiers. It was hard to believe, this young woman in her twenties was leading a team of armed women to an ambush with no clear idea on whether they were going to survive or not. It was a strange sight as well, it was a rare sight to see woman doing anything beyond housework but at the same time it was refreshing. At least in his last moments he would be to see a beautiful young woman and not a grimy old man.
"Yes", Takeko replied lightly as she gave the man an awkward smile. She felt a little embarrassed, she had purposely worn men clothing and cropped her hair to make her less noticeable but in the end she was still a recognisable figure. Her luck was never so good and she somewhat had become used it. The soldier raised a brow, he had heard rumours of a specially made team of female warriors. All fierce and intelligent and quick witted. Every single woman had cast away their hair, status and life to serve and fight for their own sake. No longer bound to what defined them they fought and broke the chains of society, wanting to define themselves with a new image. Not as a plain ordinary woman with no outstanding peculiarities but as fierce warriors able to accomplish what men can do. One woman of the team was worth twenty men, and it wasn't to say that the leader was worth one hundred. The soldier had heard many rumours surrounding the young lady, some were true, some false but to think that the rumoured Aizu Joshitai group existed was more than amazing.
"Hmph, to think you guys were actually real. You guys must be nuts to be here", the man gruffly coughed out. He was injured, heavily and probably wouldn't make it out the room alive let alone to fight. Takeko let out a stiff laugh, she knew she shouldn't be even laughing but it was only the way she relieve the tension. But she stopped laughing as she thought about the circumstances of this war and how she came to be the commander of this team of women.
"We are crazy indeed, but it's better than being who we were before. Might as well die doing something", Takeko murmured out softly as she threw him a flask of wine, she didn't drink but she knew that a man like him would rather drown his sorrows and pains in liquor. These were going to be his final moments.
The soldier chuckled, they were right. Better off than being who were they before. No women was truly respected in this time, and these women were going to make a change or trying at least. To put their names in history. One of the walls of the castle capsized, a fire from a cannon was heard as several more foundations of the castle broke down, shaking the entire room and fortress. The men and women held onto to each other in fear of death, but Takeko had her eyes closed. She concentrated merely on the sound of battle and nothing else. Blocking out everything else she found herself in quite a peculiar state, where she was scared of the imminent battle but at the same time she was longing for it. She could feel the rising tension within the room, it made her skin prickle and her nerves tingle in excitement and thrill. She could hear the soldiers shifting themselves as they prepared their next move. The women were doing the same, they were polearms user, they did not fight close to the enemy. They fought from a good distance to minimise damage upon themselves and maximise damage on the enemy.
"They are coming", Takeko said as she heard the distant footsteps of the dogs of the Shogun was coming towards them. "Prepare for the surprise attack", she continued to thumb her bullet. Her rifle was loaded and ready for fire but she wanted to get the soldiers when they were most vulnerable and not expecting it. She knew their orders were not to harm the women as they were to take them as hostages but that would be their downfall. So this were their perfect chance, she opened her eyes slowly as she slowly stood up to face the door. The chains around her waist clinking against each other softly, the pull and tear of fabric in her hands and the sharp and metallic sound of a blade being unsheathed. She let out a soft sigh and breathed in the air, don't think, don't feel, move ahead.
It was just a flash of a moment but time seemed to freeze at the very moment, men came crashing through the door. They are their weapons drawn, they were expecting a group of defenceless women all huddled together awaiting their demise, they were expecting some few soldiers near death. They were not expecting a flurry of silver and a row of women with their rifles out. Takeko drew out her own and the moment she shot her own rifle a cascade of bullets rained down upon the first few men who entered the room. At that moment the rifles were abandoned and the polearms were taken out, the stunned soldiers didn't know for a moment that they the hunters had become the hunted. Tormented cries of help and screams of pain filled the room, everything seemed so disorientated at that moment. Takeko was in a daze, her blade cleanly sliced through the flesh and bone, her naginata certainly did not have a long blade but it was thicker than a sword and it had a longer range. The wooden glazed pole which she gripping onto tightly gave her enough guard, so defence strong. She felt her blood boiling, there was an unfamiliar feeling creeping within her, something she had nothing felt before. Was it joy?
Heavy pants could be heard in the room as the women regained their composure, some were injured but nothing more than a few cuts. Takeko had a smile on her face, it had creeped upon without her even realising it, how thrilling was that?! Better than fighting against small opponents for practice, better than a dojo, better than wooden dolls. This was war! This was a true fight where nothing was held back! She felt alive and utterly so amazed at how she never experienced this feeling before. "We're moving out, collect what you need", Takeko ordered, there was adrenaline running within her veins. She was jumpy and tingly, and she knew she was showing it, as a huge smile was creeping along her face which disorientated some of the men and women. But they had seen that expression before, she was drifting far beyond them and becoming something else.
The women nodded in agreement tersely and picked themselves up from the ground. The injured soldiers of Aizu could only stare in amazement, it was now that they understood why such a group was formed in the first place. It was terrifying that these once simple household women could kill with such ease and without remorse. And now a twenty-one year old woman could command them with such ease and effortlessness. But at that the same time they were scared, they were scared of this woman, throughout the entire fight she had a wide smile across her face and to add with that she never gave a second glance at the dead bodies. She even tread over one of the corpses without even a look down at what she was stepping.
"We leave now".
"Break their lines!" Takeko shouted out, the rush of adrenaline was incredible, never in her life had she felt so alive. She was laughing, she had never felt so liberated and free, all her life she had been tied down to something. Whether it be her family, gender, social status or society itself; she had been chained down. But now she was free and she could whatever she wished, she laughed in utter joy. This was a major bet with heavy wagers, life or death but for some reason she couldn't even think about it, after all she was having a time of her life. Onward they charged into the jaws of Death, she tightened her grip on her spear, a onetime opportunity and if she were to die then she would knowing she had done something honourable. The wind whipped past her, her hair whipping around the side of her cheeks. The wind chaffed her skin but she paid no mind, she had her eyes on the commander. The exhilarating feeling she had would never be forgotten, this rushing sensation that tingled her spine was indescribable.
The line of men had their rifles drawn out, they were waiting for the perfect moment to fire upon the women. Takeko met eyes with their commander, she gritted her teeth, the commander mouthed out words that she couldn't hear but she knew what he said. She stuck her tongue out childishly as she pulled the horses reins even tighter. She silently counted down in her head, she knew the distance at which they would fire, it was a standard.
Three.
Two.
One.
A resounding bang of the rifles deafened the soldiers, a few cries of pain surrounded her but she focused all her attention to the commander. She was a main target but at the moment they were about to pull the triggers she leapt from her steed and ducked down to avoid the hail of metal, most of the women had managed to do so but a few unfortunate one were too late and were shot down. She felt a stinging pain in her abdomen, a bullet had grazed her however it was nothing that couldn't been fixed by a few bandages. And there was no turning back now, she so close to them.
"Ready your spears!" Takeko screamed out, she drew her gun and with an eagle-like precision she managed to shoot down the commander. The bullet lodging itself in his head, chunks of flesh tearing out from his head as blood dribbling from his mouth. He stupidly garbled out a few words before falling down. She laughed in joy, her expression could only be described as ecstatic. The charge broke through the line, the trample of horses crushed the men beneath them. A cry of warriors as the second cavalry took place of the first with their swords and guns drawn. The young warriors let out a blood-hurdling war-cry as they charged forward, Takeko one of them. She felt blood whip against her face with each strike, her swung her polearm with ease, years of practice and experience made it all too easy for her to cut down the soldiers. One by one they fell, but the amount was overwhelming. She wasn't a warrior or a solder, she was a martial artist, her talents were better used against trained professionals of the arts of weaponry.
She jumped from samurai to samurai, she kept cutting through them that she lost track of time. How many men had she killed? Her wounds were increasing, with each new gash and cut she felt her blood drip away from her. And yet she couldn't stop, she was intoxicated by the smell of war. Her sanity began slip away from her, with each samurai she slew her grin grew wider and wider. Blood had died her clothing red, and her hair was matted with this blood. Her thoughts became hazy, all she could see now was a sea of blood.
She could not longer tell who she was fighting, they were blurred visions but all she knew was to strike whatever was ahead of her.
"Elder sister!" A voice pierced through the haziness and clouded mind of Takeko's, it was like the sudden an abrupt twang of an untoned string of her koto. And instrument she loved so fondly and one she played ever so often, a beloved gift from her uncle.
"Yūko?" Takeko turned to towards the sound, she caught eyes with her little sister. She was running towards her with terror in her eyes, "What are yo-", she heard a large resounding bang, one different from the rest of the clatter of sounds. Because there was a sharp and excruciating pain accompanying it in her chest, she looked down in shock to see a hole in her chest. Blood began pouring from the hole and the fabric which had been dyed the blood of anothers soon became dyed with the blood of hers. She had been shot, she looked up to see an armoured samurai still holding the rifle with a smug grin. With the last of her energy keeping her up she withdrew her own rifle and with one shot the man who shot her was now lying on the ground in pain. Most likely to die as well.
"Elder sister! Elder sister!" Yūko came rushing to her side when Takeko suddenly collapsed. Her legs felt heavy and her chest suddenly felt like as if there was someone sitting on it. So that was what it felt like to be shot, what a horrible feeling. She would've rather had her arm cut off. She drifted in and out from consciousness, the only thing that was keeping her awake was the voice of her sister. She looked up through her hazed eyes to see Yūko's teared stained face as she dragged Takeko away from the heat of the battle. As she did that she repeatedly said that she was going to be okay. She kept on repeating it like a mantra as if believing it would come true, however both knew that it was a fatal wound and there was no correct equipment to take out the bullet and mend her wounds. Takeko didn't say anything as her sister continued to pull her, she wanted to stand and at least limp to spare her sister the energy of carrying her but she didn't seem to have the strength.
Yūko managed to drag Takeko far from the battle and propped her against a tree, after that she began to pull aside the layers of clothing, her fingers tained red from the blood in the fabric. She gasped as she saw the full injury, and how it was so deep. She felt her tears well up again, how was she supposed to mend this? She barely had enough to patch it up, but she didn't have the equipment to pull out a bullet. She wiped the blood the best she could but it continued to bleed, the gaping hole would not close and it continued to drip blood as if mocking her.
"There is so much blood", Yūko's voice trembled as she took out her flask of water, there wasn't much left but she did her best with what she had. She washed the wound and using what little she had and wrapped the wound up, she was thankful that the bullet didn't go straight through her or it would've shattered on of her back bones for sure. But Takeko's breaths became more laboured. She had lost too much blood and she had too many wounds to count. Takeko nodded numbly as she tried to not think of the pain, but that didn't so well. Her adrenaline had worn off and now she was so painfully aware of her situation, she knew she wasn't going to make. Not with her wounds and her sister having to carry her away. It was simply not possible.
Yūko was in despair, what could she do? She never had the training she had like her older sister, she was only here as a medic, not a warrior. Her hands trembled a little as she placed the healing herbs into the cuts and wounds, the moss would at least slow down the bleeding but there was just too much blood. Finding that she had no more cloth, she tore from her own dress to wrap up more of her wounds. Yūko's breathing began to quicken, she was hyperventilating and she didn't know how to stop it. Startled a little she felt a rather warm hand cupped her face and gently wiped her tears away. Had she been crying? Yūko did not realise this, she just stared down at her sister teary-eyed, sniffling every now and then.
"Be calm", Takeko said with a smile, "You were always one easy to cry". She brushed away the stray tears with her fingers letting the droplets of water run down her arm. Takeko always knew her sister was a crybaby, she had always been one and she doubted that would ever change. She did adore her little sister and her little brother, they were both so cute. Unlike her, she was always seen as elegant and graceful even though she was actually far from that. She swore and cussed, she dressed a man and often did she climb trees and play with frogs for own amusement. She had always thought it would've been better if she was born as a man.
Yūko widened her eyes and bawled even harder at the implications. "You can't just die! You can't do that sister! You're just so cruel!" She yelled banging against Takeko's chest lightly, she wanted to hit her but she knew her sister had too many wounds so she refrained from doing so. She always looked upon her sister, she was such a strange character and it was never boring being around her. But most than that, she had been a beacon for the Aizu for quite some time and even their father favoured the eldest child more than the younger son and daughter.
"If you were to die then I would be left alone! Alone!" Yūko clutched onto her sister's vest even tighter, her tears were free falling now and now all could be heard were the distant cries and bangs of a battles. Takeko combed her fingers through her hair letting out a heavy sigh, what was she do. How dear sister probably couldn't move from this spot any more. Her sister was just to weak-hearted, a fool as well, a huge fool.
"Yūko, I need to you to do something that only you can do", using the last of her energy she heaved herself up.
"Lay down you fool, you'll only make you wound bleed even more!" Yūko attempted to push her sister down but she swatted her hand away. Takeko drew her short sword out and taking Yūko's hands she placed the sword in her palms.
"I, Nakano Takeko order you Nakano Yūko, to cut off my head so my head will not be taken as a trophy and so my body shall not be defiled by the soldiers of Tokugawa", Takeko looked at her straight in the eyes, she would never allow her body to be defiled by the so-called samurai of the Tokugawa faction. She would rather die a thousand deaths than let that happen, but if she was going to die she might as well let someone she trusted to do the job. Her dear sister. It sounded so cruel of her to do that, but she wasn't going to survive anyways so might as well die in the hands of someone she loved. There was a smile on her face, as she beamed up towards her younger sister.
Yūko's hand trembled as she held onto the sword, her eyes widened and the tears seemed to multiply, "I…I can't! I just can't do it! He left us too early and now you're going to leave me as well!" She bawled even harder, gripping the blade so hard that it drew blood from her fingers. Takeko knew she referred to their other younger brother, one who had died from illness
"Come along now, death is inevitable, all you are doing is speeding up the process", Takeko took hold of Yūko's hands have positioned them at her neck, the edge of the blade scraped her skin ever so slightly drawing a few droplets of blood.
"Be strong", Takeko murmured closing her eyes. Her breath became calmer, just one slice and it be over. One clean cut and it would over, she let out a soft sigh.
"Good bye elder sister", Yūko said in a choked voice to Takeko. She was now saying a farewell towards her beloved sister, her death was upon her hands and she would forever remember that.
"Good bye little sister", she let out a breathy sigh as she felt the blade be pushed deeper into her skin. Her world went black all of the sudden. Did she want to die?
No.
"Next".
I don't anything but my OC.
The cover is done by me so if you wish to use it ask me first.
I constantly edit my chapters, so if you are one of my first few readers and realise that some things are different in the chapters, that's because I am editing them to make them better.
Nakano Takeko is actually a real person, she did in fact participate the Boshin War however she was shot in the chest while leading a charge. It was a fatal wound and she forced to retreat from battle, in her last moments, afraid that the men of the Imperial Japanese Army would defile her body and to take her head as a trophy she asked her sister Yuko to cut of her head. Her head was buried at Hokai Temple underneath a pine tree. A monument was erected in her honour next to her grave. During the Aizu Autumn Festival a group of young girls take part in a procession wearing hakama and white headbands commemorate the actions of Nakano and her band of women fighters of the Joshigun.