Title: Your Reflection
Rating: T
Pairings: ShizuoxIzaya/Kanra
Summary: Kanra has to uphold the family honor, to become the "perfect bride". On the other hand, her country's been send to war, and her world gets turned upside down as she enters the battlefield, as a man.
AN: Neko ・ω・ was Mulan AU inspired this time nyan. Some major changes with character charas. And setting will take place in an ancient Japan/China like AU. (I need the Great Wall, I'm sorry) So Neko will call this Chipan for now. -sobs- (┰ω┰) This will be Neko's first LONGGG series, if Neko ever gets back to "Is this a Hint of a Blooming Love?" Neko promises she'll try going back! (;ω;)ノ she really does~ -sobs again-
Disclaimer: I don't own Durarara! nor its character. Or the story of Mulan. On with the story!
Night, Great Wall.
The night had a calm light sky during patrol-duty. Until. "We're under attack! Light the signal!" The soldier scurried to light up the skies with flames of red to show that the enemy is now here. As he ran he faces through the Huns that block his way of his goal. The young soldier eventually meets to the check point, however he is now face to face with the leader of the fierce pack of monsters. Shocked beyond his mind he still, without a second thought and threw the torch into the platform. Flames bursted in front of the two figures as it roared into the night sky. This action repeated rapidly throughout the wall. One by one balls of fire lit up with the chatter of "light the signal!" "fire, fire, fire!" "light it up!" in the distance.
The guard on the other side of the large podium gave the figure a face of disgust. "Now all of Chipan knows you're here." he stated with a stern face. Whatever fear he had, he tried to block it out. Never show fear towards the enemy.
A screech of a falcon was heard. The dark figure broke a flag post with the nation's symbol. swing the flag into the fire watching the flames grow. Saying the words. "Perfect." with the spark in his eyes he grinned at the statement.
Palace of Chipan.
"Your Majesty, the Huns have crossed our northern border." General Kichirou Heiwajima bowed in presence of the emperor of "Chipan" with two soldiers behind him doing the same.
"Impossible. No one can get through the Great Wall-." The emperor's right hand man spoke up. He was a tall grown man with burning red hair and a noticeable thin scar above his left eyebrow. Interrupting, Shiki silenced him with a hand signalling for the general to continue.
"Yodogiri is leading them." Kichirou raised his head with a stern face explaining the situation. Shiki gave a squinted look at that name.
"We'll set up defenses around the palace immediately." Kichirou suggested.
"No. Send your troops to protect my people." Shiki denied the offer of safety immediately, what would an emperor be if he didn't think of his people's safety first? "Akabayshi." He called.
"Yes, Your Highness?" The man named Akabayshi replied with a small bow.
"Deliver conscription notices throughout all the provinces. Call up reserves and as many new recruits as possible." Shiki ordered.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I believe my troops can stop him." Kichirou stepped in.
"I won't take any chances, General. A single grain of can tip the scale. One man may be the difference between victory and defeat." Shiki dismissed the troops.
At a certain house, within the Wall.
"'Quiet and demure. Graceful. Polite. Delicate. Refined. Poised. Punctual.' Eeeh, too easy~" Kanra stated plopping a piece of ootoro in her mouth. Currently Kanra was "glancing" at the final admonition, laying in her room until she looked at the time. "Yikes, I better get going~" Kanra quickly got up from bed and power jumped to the closet. Changing into her traditional chinese attire for town. She skipped into the living room to quickly make her father's morning tea. Humming a familiar tune, she passed by a photo. "Wish me luck Brother. I miss you.." she said quietly with a sad smile, touching the frame of the photo, gently.
Tombstones of the ancestors of the Orihara family descended were shown. Orihara Shirou, a man of his age, was the father of Kanra Orihara. He lit a jolt stick then getting to the ground giving an honorable bow of prayer. "Honorable ancestors... Please help Kanra impress the Matchmaker today." Shirou Orihara prayed.
On his way out, none other than Kanra greeted him "Father, I brought your- ..." bump. The tea-cup smashed to ground with a light crack.
"Kanra." Shirou swiftly caught the teapot with his hand, wondering why his daughter was still here.
"I brought a spare." she winks pulling out another cup. In doubt ignoring her father's "Kanra" tone of voice.
"Kanra." Shirou tried countering. With little success.
"Remember, the doctor said three cups of tea in the morning-..." she continues while tipping the teapot forward. Pouring out the hot brown liquid.
"Kanra." again.
"And three at night." She finished putting the cup in the hands of her father with a smile.
"Kanra, you should already be in town. We are counting on you to-..." Shirou got to a sentence, well third quarters of one.
"To uphold the honor. Don't worry Father, I won't let you down. Wish me luck~" Kanra kissed him on the cheek and skipped down the stone staircase.
"Hurry! ..Hopefully the Matchmaker's having a good mood today.." Shirou sighed.
Town Square, Chipan.
"Orihara Kyoko, is your daughter here yet?" A young woman from the salon asks. "The Matchmaker's not a patient woman." She added as she goes back in.
"Of all days to be late!" Kyoko huffed. Her mother couldn't believe her daughter.. actually she could, but that's not the point! Two figures were at the scene with her, her twin younger daughters that came to help, as they'll have to do the same process one day too. The girl with long braids and glasses was glancing at every direction to help find her older sister. With her hand above her eyes to block out the sun's rays.
The oldest of the twins spoke out first. She had a short cut that reached just above her shoulders. "Nee-san.. late.." Kururi whispered as she fiddled with some string.
"Aah, I see her Mother!" Mairu explained while pointing at Kanra's direction.
There she was, on a dark horse of black riding towards her family and swiftly jumping off before her mother. "I'm here! What? Am I early~?" Kanra posed with her arms in the air with a smile, then a smirk.
Her mother will deal with her later.. "None of your excuses. Come, let's get you cleaned up." Kyoko insisted pushing her inside the spa.
"You really came in last minute Nee-san." Mairu poked by as Kanra started undressing for a wash.
"Remember dear Mairu, everyone else is just earlier." Kanra said a matter-of-factly with a wink and her index finger at her lips.
Kyoko has enough of this giving Kanra a light push into the tub, making Kanra splash in. "God, it's freezing!" Kanra cussed, rubbing her shoulders at a attempt to get warmer. Giving a glare to her mother and receiving one back.
"It would have been warm if you were here on time." Kyoko huffed.
Matchmaker's Building.
Five young soon to be brides walked in a line leading to the doors of their destinies. Each of them swiftly opened their colored umbrellas and bend foward to hide their faces with the doors on the other side. A burst of the doors opened and a formally dressed young female walked out.
"Orihara, Kanra." The woman's voice called out. Taking a paintbrush from behind her ear and taking attendance.
"Present and accounted for~" Kanra happily said raising her umbrella up to show her presence and of course, her weary smile.
Turning away for the bunch, checking on her board she scribbled something down. "Speaking without permission." The Matchmaker noted, rolling her eyes.
Kanra gave a smirk to the young woman as she followed her in to the building closing her blossom colored umbrella. The blonde shut the doors behind them.
While the woman turned towards Kanra she added. "You're late." While looking up and down at Kanra's form, studying her.
"Waaah~ Shizuka-chan it's been too long~ And I'm never late, everyone's just early." Kanra replied with an awfully friendly manner. Indeed, this Matchmaker so happened to be her old childhood friend and which also happened to be her ex-girlfriend. Shizuka Heiwajima. A blonde beauty in a light baby blue kimono with hazel irises.
Shizuka raised a brow and sighed. "Too skinny. Not good for bearing sons.." She responded turning away from her noting down this. She.. she was completely ignoring the fact that Kanra Orihara was in her presence.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" Kanra whined. "..Are you still mad at me? Is that it?" She suddenly questioned when the blonde started walking away slowly.
The blonde stopped at that. "Kanra, what's in the past, stays in the past, I give you no ill will." She sighed with mild annoyance looking back at her with a deep stare. Sighing, but ended with a "It's good to see you again." greeting.
"Eeeeh~? That's mean Shizuka, did all the years we been together mean nothing to you!" Now she was just joking. Deep down she was happy that she's been forgiven. And Shizuka knew that. "The feeling is mutual." She smiled.
"Today I'm your Matchmaker. Nothing more, nothing less." She simply stated shrugging it off.
"Eeeh. You really grew into your job~-" Kanra started again.
"Just recite the final admonition." Shizuka interrupted. 'Let's get this over with..'
She flicked her lovely fan open and out while slightly covering her smile. "Fulfill your duties calmly and respectfully. Reflect before you act. This shall bring you honor and glory ne." Kanra played along for now. Shizuka noted this down too.
"This way." Shizuka explained leading the way to the table with a teapot and teacup. "Now, pour the tea." Shizuka pushed the teapot to Kanra's corner as she sat down. Simply instructing Kanra on what to do to complete this. "To please your future in-laws... You must demonstrate a sense of dignity. And refinement. You must also be poised." Shizuka directed. While Kanra gracefully poured the tea without ease, humming a silent tone in her head.
Setting the pot down, she just had to comment. "Wow, Shizuka sounds so formal and proper, how unusual~" She said as Shizuka raised the tea cup to her lips to drink.
Annoyed with Kanra's tainting, "And silent for your case." Shizuka commented back, "lightly" pounded the table with a loud bang from impact.
"Hai, hai~" Kanra was unfazed as usual with Shizuka's threats. Beaming her another of her usual smiles.
As her childhood friend, Shizuka knew better. She knows that Kanra is merely hiding behind masks again. So Shizuka gave in with a long, hard sigh, shaking her head, placing her hand on to her forehead. "What a day." Ending up this session.
Matchmaker Building.
"In other cases.. how's the Orihara's doing?" Shizuka had finished all her matchmaking duties for the day and seeing how Kanra hasn't left yet, she started another conversation. She began preparing to light her traditional smoking pipe.
"Stop being so formal with me, it's freaking me out~ Brr." Kanra mocked a fake shiver down her spine. With the actions similar to her freezing ice bath.
"Why you little-" Shizuka twitched, as much as she was trying to keep a professional aura, Kanra sure knows how to push her buttons.
"Aaah~ that's better." Kanra gave a small giggle, beaming a smile with her eyes closed. Sighing, she lit the pipe.
Shizuka gave Kanra a stern look, she wasn't kidding around at this matter. ".. Seriously though." She pressed on the topic. Kanra looked back into those eyes, she meant business.
"We're all fine, what? Is Shizuka-chan showing worry~? Waah what a rare sight!" Kanra snickered trying to make this conversation less serious than it really needs to be.
Shizuka stay quiet for a few moment after Kanra laugh. ".. Do you still have visions of your brother?" She casually asked blowing out the smoke. Then looking back at her.
For once, Kanra was silent and took time answering this question, so simple and yet it was so hard the explain it."... Yes." Kanra whispered an answer. Not making the best eye contact. Shizuka was the only one that she told about her visions.
"Alright, that's all I wanted to know." Shizuka closed her eyes as she raised her pipe up to her lips again.
"What was that all about, Shizuka?" Kanra questioned.
"Look, I won't push the subject, just checking. I don't want you to break down again." She gave a huff and closed her eyes at the memory, then re-opening.
"Awwww, Shizuka you really care for me~" Kanra beamed as her went on ahead and gave her friend a squeeze.
"It saves me from less problems from you." Shizuka continued blowing a puff of smoke.
"Eeeeh?" Kanra whined at that last comment.
-End of Chapter 1-
AN: You know Neko kind of wanted Namie-san to be the Matchmaker now.. ・ω・);
Neko's sorry she didn't give enough details with cleaning and polishing, she may update this chapter for details later, GOMENASAI~ (シ_ _)シ
And that Neko has made Yodogiri MUCH, MUCH~ younger, and OOC -sobs- But Neko needs a big antagonist so Neko has called him "Yodogiri" (real Yodogiri dead) (o;TωT)o
Neko's also using real names for the Orihara and Heiwajima families~
And so that's the end of chappy one~ As a late late late late Lunar New Years shout out!
Until next update *hearts* R&R for fed plot bunnies! ( .ω.)b
Loves3
-N.e.k.o. ( oωo)シ
