::Chapter 1::

::The Stranger and Hinata Inn::

Location: Shinmeiryu Training Grounds

Though her family was slightly alarmed as she came in from the rain soaked, there was more shock when they found she carried an unconscious man in her arms. The surgeons and servants that Tsuruko had called for were all rushing at her behest, the servants helping her out of her wet clothes and into dryer ones, some of them assisting the surgeons with the body of the young man.

The surgeons began to carefully remove his clothing from his body, taking great care so as to not further disturb his wounds. The clothes were slowly peeled off, revealing a muscled and highly toned physique, marred only by the vast quantity scars that this young man bore. One of the servants was so sick they had to leave, the surgeons themselves blanched upon seeing what a state the stranger was in. Even Tsuruko, her husband, and her parents, paled at the sight he was in.

"Wife, what sort of man have you brought here tonight?" exclaimed Tsuruko's husband, staring at a man so young, having led such a life as to have led him to where he is now.

"I do not know, husband. All I can say is that he is an injured man who needs our help. Past that, I am unsure." Tsuruko is now changed into drier clothes, her sword still at her hip, holding three strange articles before her.

"What is that, my daughter, and where did this youth come from?" asks the Shinmeiryu matriarch, only slightly startled by this strange intrusion into what would be an otherwise peaceful night.

"He fell from the sky, mother. These are two swords, a longbow, and a quiver. I do not know if they are his, but they fell shortly after he did." She hands one of the swords to her father, one to her husband, and gives her mother the bow, allowing them to inspect the articles.

"Intriguing styles on the hilts, here, wife, but these swords are not Japanese in make, or even katanas. Much more cannot be said, for I cannot unsheathe the blade!" He turns to the Shinmeiryu patriarch, receiving a nod in agreement, calling for servants to place the blades somewhere safe for further inspection.

"This is a fine bow, my dear, but I'm afraid it's strung for one much stronger than I, and from the way that young man was built, I'd say he'd be able to use it with ease," says Tsuruko's mother after having tested the bow, pulling on the string, feeling along it's length, sighting across the bow stave. Another servant is called to take away the bow, and Tsuruko hands them the quiver as well.

Everyone gazes at him, as the surgeons begin their deft work to disinfect his wounds, sew up those too large, and bandage the others in an attempt to keep further blood loss at a minimum. Tsuruko can still feel the strange sense of foreboding in her temples, almost like a sinus headache, and the more she focused on it, the more it had to do with this young man.

"We can only hope that when he awakens, he will have some answers to the questions we will have for him." Tsuruko said, shaking her head as she leaves the room, pulling her husband along with her, determined to get some sleep so that her mind can be at ease.

Location: Shinmeiryu Training Grounds

Time: 1 week later

Tsuruko mused over the past week's events, curious now as to what could be the reason for her senses to decide still that this stranger was the harbinger of some unknown doom. Truth yet, she would only think of him as stranger when it came to what danger he might bring, for his name was known, and he was spoken of in hushed tones through the estate.

It began when he awoke on the first day of his stay with the Aoyama family, as a servant was simply making the guest room that they had moved him to more presentable, when she passed by his inert form, and realized that his eyes were open.

She bowed down, scared, but began to speak, assuring him that everything was all right, and introducing herself. His hazel eyes flickered from brown to green in the sunlight that was shining in through the shared in the room, and he responded in a tongue that she did not recognize. She repeated herself and he responded again, this time his speech flowed, almost as if musical, the sunlight danced on his face as he did, and after her third attempt at an introduction, his face tightened in concentration, he opened his mouth and in perfect Japanese, advised her not to worry.

Realizing that she was a servant, he bade her summon the lord and lady of the manor, and at the formality in his tone and words, she nodded her ascent. Such is how Tsuruko came to see a man whose wounds would have meant death for any other, stretching out his body with great care and preparation. She had abandoned her gi and hakama for a more traditional robe, though of such care that its value was easily seen.

When he realized her entry, he stopped his stretching exercises, favoring her with a deep and courtly bow, as if he were at a noble's court or a grand palace. She bowed in return, wondering at such refined courtesy from such a young man. After they both rose from their bow, he knelt before her in a different sort of ceremony, one she was unaccustomed to, but facing the ground, one fist placed as if he was punching the ground, his other hand at his belt, gripping something that was not there, one knee down on the ground, he spoke.

"My lady, you have my deepest gratitude for the binding of my wounds and the hospitality you have shown me. I pledge my name in defense of thy house, such as it is."

He rises carefully, with a proud bearing in his demeanor. He looks Tsuruko in the eyes, and she almost gasps at what she can read in them, and of him, now that he is awake and his aura is clearer to her.

"My name is William Kinair, of the Family Kinair, last of my line, Lord of Remsor, and leader of the Equestrian Guild. Such services as I may proffer are yours to command, my lady."

Such noble words, such a strong bearing, Tsuruko had never seen in so young a man before. Even though most of his upper body covered by bandages, his lower body was in a hakama, as his own clothes were being tended to by a seamstress in the family's employ, he looked as if he would do the first task she set to him.

She had been surprised, but she decided to leave things as they were. His eyes had strayed to his things in the room, but only for a moment. They had a short discussion, with Tsuruko realizing that wherever William came from, he was not of this time, or perhaps even of this world.

She allowed William to assist with various tasks around the house, after his miraculous recovery, she surmised he could do no harm assisting with minor tasks around the house. The servants and other people of the house were taken with him, courteous, kind, lending his help quickly and deftly to any who asked. Oddly enough, for someone with such fluent Japanese, he spent a great deal of his time within the Shinmeiryu library, asking for assistance from the caretaker of said building with learning how to read their tongue, for whatever means that allowed him to speak it, did not allow him to read it.

So Tsuruko continued musing about this stranger in their midst, this anomaly. Obviously a gaijin, but his manner was so close to that of their long dead samurai, it only further served to drive home the fact that he was not of their world. What truly molested Tsuruko though, was the fact that his wounds did not appear to be healing as they should have, especially considering how well he seems to have recovered, awakening from his grievous injuries with barely a night's rest. Over a week now, and he had progressed very little, and she had summoned the surgeons and medics treating him for some sort of diagnosis from them.

Finally, they had arrived, and Tsuruko began to discuss with them William's condition and how soon he would recover. Though they looked ill at ease, they began to speak of his condition, and finally, they rendered their verdict. None of the activities William had been performing should have hampered his healing or reopened his wounds, and some of them felt that he had acquired new wounds, although on his scarred body, they could not truly be sure what was new or old.

This news troubled Tsuruko greatly, her mien had not changed much, but she could be seen concentrating, and she said nothing for a brief pair of moments. She realized her silence, and asked her surgeons to leave her so she could consider what she needed to do with this information.

After her surgeons left, she turned to the other entryway into the audience room, and smiled a soft knowing smile.

"You can come in now, although eavesdropping is not a good practice to get into the habit of," she spoke, motioning for whoever was there to join her in the audience room. In entered a young girl who had been training with them, her family having been long allies of the Shinmeiryu clan, and a personal friend of the Aoyama family.

"Sensei," she spoke timidly, walking into the room, her face pale, although Tsuruko could not tell if it was from having been caught or from what she had heard. Many of the young swordswomen within the training grounds had especially taken a liking to the young stranger, for he was certainly a dashing figure, a stranger from another land, kind, soft spoken, strong. Tsuruko often heard muted sighs whenever William walked into a room where the girls were, for he had taken to the practice of not wearing anything up top, in order not to disturb the bandages, and his broad shoulders, tanned skin and rippling muscles were quite a sight.

The young student, Sakura, knelt before her sensei, placing her practice sword at ease, giving Tsuruko a weak smile. She fidgeted slightly with her hands in her lap, as she breathed rapidly, seemingly nervous at being in the presence of what could be the school's greatest warrior.

"Come now, Sakura, there's no need to be nervous. I will hold no blame for your eavesdropping, so long as you do not repeat it. Now, can you tell me what has you so nervous, for you normally take your punishment with much better grace than this."

"Sensei, I, I was eavesdropping, and, I, I, I'm so sorry, sensei, I've kept something from you when I should not have," she said, bowing in obeisance, her voice breaking slightly as she speaks.

"Now, Sakura, please, be calm and tell me what has you so upset, and while I do not approve, never fear that I shall not hear you out," Tsuruko bade the student rise and continue, her face calm but her insides churning slightly as to what Sakura's revelation might be, her strange feeling of dread having risen again in response to the discussion she had with her surgeons, hitting her harder now that Sakura was here in such a state.

"Well, Sensei, it was like this. You remember how Kinair-sama had been helping some of us with our archery, well, I promised him that after I got a bull's-eye I would bring him the ribbon to show him. He smiled at me, and I knew I would do my best just so I could show him that I had listened and was improving, and he told me to feel free to bring over the ribbon as soon as I won it. So I practiced hard while I was at the archery range, and finished my duties as quickly as I could, and I went back to the range for a little more practice. Finally, as it was nearing twilight, I did it, I got my first bull's-eye! I was so happy I could burst. I put up my bow, and the Master at the archery range, who had been waiting for me to finish, gladly presented me with my ribbon for achieving my bull's-eye. I ran over to where I knew Kinair-sama was staying, but it had grown dark while I had put away my bow. On the way to the guest house, I saw what appeared to be three strangers in front of me, and was surprised, for I did not believe that there would be strangers in the manor unescorted. I decided I would see what they were doing, and as I got closer, I realized they were some sort of monsters!" Sakura finished almost in a shriek, the fright of that moment coming back to her as clearly as if she had been there.

"Monsters?" said Tsuruko, her eyebrow raised. "Surely not so, Sakura. You know just as well as I do that we have capable warriors here always on watch who can sense any such evil on the manor grounds."

Sakura shook her head emphatically, her lips pressed tightly together, her hands tight on her blade. She took a deep breath to calm herself and decided to continue.

"Sensei, I am sure they were monsters, for their flesh had come off in ragged patches, and I could see some of their insides, I could even smell the stench of death coming from them. There were four of the monsters, the first three still having a bit of flesh here or there, the fourth was mostly bones, and while the first three were wearing normal garb, the fourth, even though all bones, had on some sort of strange robe. My courage left me, and I decided to run for help, I knew I was dead if I stayed, but then I heard an evil cackle, and I could see the skeleton's jaw falling up and down, and something pushed itself into my skull, and I could not move. Whether it was fear or something else, at this point, I do not know," Sakura continued her tale, Tsuruko a rapt audience, realizing from the girl's words and her aura that she was telling the truth, worse yet, she had been unaware of the presence of these foul beasts, and this began to worry her.

"So I was stuck there, I couldn't move, and I could see these monsters getting closer, being egged on by what appeared to be their leader behind them, that nasty bag of bones. They were so close to me, I could feel the end near, so I closed my eyes, unable to stand it any more, when I felt a strong gust hit me, and then I heard a voice, I thought it was the Kami himself, but the voice was familiar, and it said 'Congratulations on your bull's-eye Sakura-chan.'"

"I opened my eyes and Kinair-sama was standing there, a sword at his hip, and one at his back. 'Please, Sakura-chan, leave, I shall take care of this.' He asked me, and I realized that while I could not move, I was still capable of speech. I told him that I could not. He then turned to me from facing the monsters and smiled confidently, 'Well then, let me deal with this little matter here, and then you can go back to your quarters and get some sleep.' He then turned to the beasts before us, and placed his hand at the sword on his side. I heard that evil cackle again, and saw the skeleton face Kinair-sama, and he became as still as a stone, and I feared the same that had happened to him had happened to me."

"Fear filled me again as I heard an unearthly voice speak. 'The Warrior has succumbed to my arts, go, and feast on the flesh of the young maiden.' I began to whimper, as the monsters picked up speed, coming in a mad dash for me, seemingly ignoring the presence of Kinair-sama. At that very moment, he struck, oh Sensei, he was amazing. Faster than I could have thought possible his sword was out, three quick strikes that I heard rather than saw, and the monsters had stopped. Bursting into ash before us, it had appeared that Kinair-sama had not moved, for his sword was in its sheath again. It was almost like I was in a movie, Sensei."

"Their leader, a staff in its hands, rushed forward and Kinair-sama rushed forward to meet him, and when they met, his first swing cleaved right through the monster's staff, his second thrust would have struck in the monster's heart, if it had had one. Still, it seemed enough, for it turned to dust as had the others, and I found that I could move again. I got up and showed Kinair-sama the ribbon that I'd been clutching at for dear life itself."

"When he saw it, he looked at me and smiled, he told me that if I kept up my practice in archery and swordsmanship, and gave it my all, I'd be great someday. He then looked around for a moment, and I couldn't see his face, but he then told me that it would be a good time for me to get to sleep. Before I left, I ran up and gave him a hug, which seemed to surprise him, but he put his arms back around me, and he told me then that there was no need for anyone else to know about this, and I wasn't sure what he meant, but decided to keep the whole night's events quiet."

Tsuruko stares at Sakura in shock, unsure if she can believe this truly astounding story. Undead in her home, and neither she nor a single one of her warriors was able to sense them. This would definitely bear further investigation, and she realized that today was going to be an interesting day. Sakura had continued while Tsuruko was contemplating.

"But I was walking by here on my way to the archery range and I heard your discussion with the medics, and I realized that I had made a mistake by not telling anyone what had happened. Though he didn't get any that night, he was sword fighting, and his wounds, and," Tsuruko put up a hand to stop Sakura, understanding exactly the point the young maiden was trying to get across.

"Your point is well taken, Sakura. Thank you for informing me of this, now go on and practice, I'll have some words with the young warrior," Tsuruko dismissed Sakura to continue her practice, and then summoned one of the servants.

"Summon William Kinair to my presence, and advise him that he should come fully armed," Tsuruko said, with a strange look to which the servant paled, summoning their injured guest armed was certainly odd practice, but as it is not a servant's place to question, he quickly rushed to do as he was commanded.

Tsuruko then realized that she would have a small window of time before the young swordsman arrived. She realized it would be a good time to meditate and concentrate on what had been happening, to see if she could glean any further insight into the situation. She began to concentrate her meditations focusing on this new evil, and on the young warrior William Kinair.

Her sight was beginning to focus now, clearly, on a small aura of light, that she could recognize as William, flaring brightly within a smothering darkness, intent filled with evil and hatred. She could see as the light that was William bounced around, cutting out smothering patches of darkness, but while it was a valiant effort, the darkness only receded a little. She pushed further into the time, to get a sense of the coming future, to understand the dark foreboding she had felt since William had arrived, and she then saw an ally for the young warrior, this one had the distinctive ki signature of someone trained in the arts of the Shinmeiryu, but because of the haziness of the vision she could not determine who it was. Still, the evil intent had started to coalesce and focus, and the darkness was now focusing on the distinctive ki signature of one of her warriors, but she could not tell who, and it was focusing on that signature with a desperation she had never felt before, as if the very key to their defeat lay in that signature.

Suddenly, for one split second, her focus became crystal, and she could see people and events rather than signatures, she saw with a great shock that the figure was her sister, and now she could actually feel her life in danger. She opened her eyes in a cold sweat, staring at the wall before her. She began to think quickly, realizing that her sister, Motoko was in need of protection and that for some reason, William would have to be the one to give it to her. She had felt that in her meditation as well.

She began to formulate a plan, and she wondered just how much her sister would dislike this latest scheme of Tsuruko's. She smiled, and began to make various arrangements as William arrived in her study. Plans were struck, and discussions had, and so began the foundation for what Tsuruko hoped would save Motoko's life.

Location: The steps of Hinatasou

Time: 2 weeks later

William felt a little apprehensive as he stared at the Inn Tsuruko had asked him to stay at, reading the sign from a distance, 'All Girls Dormitory'. He had stabled the Aoyama's horse and walked the rest of the way here. From what Tsuruko had told him, and from long and painful experience, he knew that women were quite often nothing but trouble, but still, as a man, he would never allow any woman to come to harm, not so long as he continued to draw breath upon this Earth.

William's musings were cut short by what appeared to be an explosion somewhere in the Inn. Perhaps that Su person that had been mentioned, a young foreigner with a knack for mechanized destruction. What William did not expect was the small body he saw flying from the explosion. With the practice of a seasoned hero, he gauged the arc and positioned himself, catching the helpless young girl before the fall could do her any harm.

Shinobu had known that having Su work on one of her inventions in the kitchen would be a bad idea, but so had wanted to, and Shinobu relented, not really wanting to be a bother in that way. So, she had been right, as usual, and her reward for it was a trip out the window as she ran away from Su's exploding failure at repairing some odd model of Mecha-Tama. She was quite afraid of how much it would hurt to land on the cold stone floor that was the outside of Hinatasou, but what Shinobu landed on was nowhere near as hard as she expected it to be. It was also very warm. What truly surprised her was that it spoke, even if in a Japanese more formal than she was accustomed to.

"Art thou all right, young one?" William asks of the young girl, whose eyes are scrunched closed at the prospect of hitting pavement after the explosion that launched her out the window. He watches her slowly open her eyes in shock as she realizes not only that she is uninjured but at the position she happens to be in. A slight blush begins to creep onto her face and her stomach starts to flutter.

Shinobu can barely believe her eyes as she opens them, as she looks into the hazel eyes of the man who is her rescuer. With soft brown hair framing his face, eyes full of warmth and kindness, he smiles at Shinobu, who blushes even more fiercely than usual. Her breathing quickens, as she stares at him, dressed like a hero out of a Western fairy tale. She can feel his strong arms on her body, and the warmth exuding from him, and realizes that he's spoken to her, asking if she is all right, in a smooth voice, filled with concern.

"Thank you, sir, for saving me." She says as he gently sets her down on her own two feet, and she bows to him in gratitude. He bows to her in return, but not as the Japanese bow, and she gazes at him strangely.

"It would not do for such a lovely young lady to come to harm where I could do something to stop it now, would it? I appreciate your gratitude, and would ask if this is Hinatasou." Though William is sure, after having seen the explosion and having heard tales of the place from Tsuruko, he feels it best to start the conversation somewhere safe, remembering all the troubles he's had with women in the past.

"Auu... Auu... um.. yes, this is Hinatasou." Shinobu clutches her hands in front of her in slight shock. Did he just call her a lovely young lady? He was looking at her with those eyes, and he was so tall, and handsome.

William rose from his bow, picking up a duffel bag that he'd dropped to the floor before catching Shinobu, he strode towards Hinatasou, leaving a confused and bewildered young girl behind.

Kaolla Su runs up to Shinobu, realizing that she's all right, and has a strange look on her face, stops short, seeing the man who is headed towards Hinatasou, wonders what's going on.

"Shinobu, you okay? Sorry 'bout the explosion. Who's that guy over there?" She peppers Shinobu with questions, while all Shinobu can do is stare at the tall figure walking away, shaking her head.

"I... I have no idea. I am definitely going to find out." Shinobu states with a determination that is unlike her. She begins to walk purposefully towards the dormitory, leaving a smiling Su behind her, who shakes her head and speaks to herself.

"Looks like more fun times a-coming." Su says, and bounds after Shinobu and the mysterious stranger, smiling to her as she considers what will come of this new development, as she had grown bored with life at Hinatasou lately.