The Legend Begins
A Ronins Origin Story
Author's Note: This is part of a 17 chapter story plus a prologue, an epilogue, and author's notes. It is COMPLETED. To best view this story, please visit my Ronin Warrior Wing on my web site -- http://www.geocities.com/libraryoflegends/
Chapter 10 – Playing with Hard Rocks
He was at a carnival. The place was teaming with activity. Multicolored banners billowed in a swift breeze over a multitude of brightly colored tents. Thronging crowds pushed their way between booths featuring everything from games to little trinkets to greasy hot dogs and hamburgers. Little children danced between the aisles, giggling. Some clutched little stuffed animals that their fathers had won for them at the games while others licked the remnants of sticky pink cotton candy from their fingers. Mothers sighed in exasperation as they pulled their unwilling children through the crowds, telling them on no uncertain terms should they let go and get lost among the glamour. Beyond the tents, thrill rides had been set up and teenagers let loose screams of delight as they clutched at their friends. Roller coasters climbed steep inclines; only to be let loose in a near steep drop once it rounded the top. Gaudy lights flashed on the rides and balloons of various colors drifted loose to travel into the cloudless sky. He watched all of this with an expression of confusion then shrugged it off. Might as well enjoy it while he could.
As he wandered about the tents, his eye caught on a small stocky boy of about six years wandering about the fair grounds aimlessly. The child looked to be vaguely Chinese and was carrying a stick of fluffy pink cotton candy. He paid the child only half a mind and eventually lost him in the crowd. He continued to wander and found himself in a fun house. Feeling impulsive, he followed a group of fellow teenagers inside where he spied the child again. The child left the crowd and headed to a room off to the side of the attraction. He wondered what the child planned to do and found himself following him into the back rooms full of unused props. A flash of orange shone in the corner and the child bent to rummage among the random items. He blinked at the child's actions and then his vision filled with a bright orange light.
When it cleared, he found himself standing on a high mountain cliff. The craggy peaks rose high into the sky and a green valley stretched far below him. The air was cool, carrying the scent of snow on the distant peaks. As he cast his eyes about the area, he realized that he was standing next to a large rock wrapped with holy Shinto charms. He ran his fingers over the engravings when something drew his attention to the opposite side. The child he had seen before was there and talking to someone in white robes. He stared curiously at the scene. He couldn't hear what the man was saying to the child no matter how hard he strained his ears. He moved closer but the two remained unaware of his presence. The child was grinning and the man placed his staff to his forehead, igniting the orange light that again engulfed everything.
He blinked rapidly to clear the dazzle, his eyes finally adjusting to the gloom that was a contrast to the open-air peaks he'd been among just a scant few seconds ago. He recognized the back room of the fun house, where this venture had first begun. The child noticed him shaking his head in the shadows for the first time and wandered over to him.
"Kento of Hardrock," the child said in a voice that was both cheery and solemn, "You have to believe in yourself."
He stared at the child, the shock gallivanted his mouth to open.
"Hey! How do you know my name?!"
The child giggled and Kento's mind began to piece the events together. Wait, that's me! When I was younger! But I don't get it . . . He watched as the child disappeared through the back door and back out into the milling fair grounds. Kento collapsed on the spot, leaning his back against one of the numerous props as his mind tried to make sense of what he had just seen. The last thing he remembered before he slid into blackness was orange light that erupted from somewhere and left him dazzled.
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"Kento Rei Faun! Are you going to sleep the day away?!"
Kento blinked sleepily from beneath his haphazard covers. He grunted then turned over on his side, trying to block out the voice and return to the bliss of sleep. There came a sigh of exasperation and the blankets were yanked off him, the sheets pulled from under him.
"Yayaaa!"
Kento flailed for his lost covers, the force causing him to roll onto the floor. He hit the wooden floor with a wince and for a moment lay there, rubbing his bruised side. He felt the vibrations traveling through the wooden planks and looked to see a foot tapping rhythmically. Kento's eyes followed the foot up to where he could see his mother looking down on him, hands crossed and wearing a no-nonsense expression.
"Morning Mama," he said cheerfully.
Mama Faun looked down at her son's bemused expression and let loose a long-suffering sigh. "Hmpf. More like 'Good Afternoon.' Do you realize what time it is?"
For a moment, Kento was at a loss for words. "Ugh . . ." His eyes trailed to his dresser where a little white clock was blinking a time at him from underneath a pile of random papers. It's nearly noon!
Mama Faun followed his horrified gaze and nodded. "That's right Kento. And if you recall, you were to go with Grandfather, Yun, and Mei Ryu to the mountains today." She arched an eyebrow. "He was looking forward to it and you did promise to take him up there."
Kento groaned. He remembered vaguely the promise he made, practically under threat of starvation by his mother too. Normally he wouldn't have minded. Their little resort in the mountains was always his favorite place to go and he loved every moment that he could take to get up there. But the recent events of the night were weighing on his mind, making bed sound far more attractive. What better to get rid of a problem than by sleeping on it? "Awww, come on Mama. Do I have to go?"
Mama Faun glared at him. "Do plants grow from soil? Are the leaves green? Answer me that Kento."
Kento looked up with puppy dog brown eyes. "But Mama . . . I really want to just sleep."
"And I'm wondering why. Perhaps it has to do with coming back at dawn?" she let her voice trail suggestively. "Or perhaps it was because of the midnight getaway. Which is it?"
Kento winced visibly. "How . . . how did you know?" His voice was small and a little guilty.
"Why Kento, I know everything that goes on in this house. How can I not?"
Kento let his arms sag to his sides as he gave up his attempt to get off the floor. Instead he sat cross-legged and stared at the dust motes lying on the planks. How could he be so stupid? Of course his mother knew everything. It was to only way she could keep order in their chaotic family. With so many kids to keep track of, she had gotten the habit of knowing their exact whereabouts at all hours. Kento could feel the flush rise up his neck. His stomach growled but for once he paid it no heed, preferring to stare at the floor.
Mama Faun noticed his silence and the rumble of his stomach. Kento made no mention of it, which was unusual for him because that's all he would talk about. That was usually a good sign that something was up. He must really be very upset over all of this, she thought silently to herself. Her normally boisterous son was carefully avoiding eye contact, awaiting the axe to fall no doubt. She let her expression soften. She couldn't be angry with him, not after the story she heard early that morning. She crouched down and reached her hand out to gently lift Kento's chin so he finally faced her. His eyes were full of remorse and even now his pupils refused to look at her.
"I also know where you had gone, Kento," and her voice was gentle now, "You went to help a friend who was to face a bully in the dead of night and you couldn't stand by. So you snuck out to help him." Brown eyes blinked with astonishment into her own. "How close am I to the truth?"
Kento sucked in a breath, "But how could you know that?"
Mama Faun smiled as she thought back on the memory. She had been rather annoyed at being awakened so early in the morning. Dawn had only barely begun to light the sky and she hadn't been due to wake up for an hour or two more to begin her morning chores for the restaurant. But the quiet voice on the other line had been one she recognized and was dear to her. It had only taken a few quick lines for her to understand the whole story. By that time, she forgave Kento of any wrongdoing, even though this was the first she had heard of it. She looked into Kento's face and would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious.
"You are lucky to have such good friends," she went on, "Cye called this morning at the crack of dawn. He told me that the two of you went to help Ryo out, along with the others, and that you'd be getting home about then."
As she watched Kento gape at her, she couldn't help but smile even more. Cye had said much more, including the little lie that he had pushed Kento into going against his will. Mama Faun knew better. Getting Kento to do something against his will was like trying to move a mountain. He was extremely stubborn. She also knew that Cye had been trying to spare any sort of punishment on him by taking the blame on himself.
"Cye . . ," Kento trailed off in gratitude. What did I do to deserve a friend like him? Cye must surely have known that he'd be in dire straits. And like always, he was there to pull his butt out of trouble.
Mama Faun took Kento's dazed hand and squeezed it lovingly. "Friendship is a wonderful thing," she said, unknowingly echoing Kento's thoughts, "Friends will stand by you when the rest of the world walks out on you." She released his hand and patted his shoulder. "I however, will not walk out on you either. And before you ask, I will not punish you. You merely responded to a friend's call for help. I'm proud that you would do that for a friend."
Kento stared at her, mystified. His face changed quickly from shame to a small smile as her words sunk into the fog of his brain.
"But," she waggled a finger at him, "That doesn't mean I'll let you off so easy next time. Just tell us before you go running off."
Kento was grinning hugely at her now. "Sure Ma!"
Mama Faun stood up and stretched her hand out to help Kento to his feet. "Now then," she said huffily. "Grandfather, Yun, and Mei Ryu have been waiting patiently all morning so I suggest," she grinned at her son's sheepish expression as his stomach rumbled again, "That you grab some breakfast and head off as soon as possible." She reached into her wide apron pockets to pull out a set of keys and dropped them into Kento's astonished hand. "Don't forget to check the gas in the van. I really don't relish a call saying you're stuck on the mountain." This time she did laugh at his expression. "Please don't give the police a justification on why the driving age is 18." She reached down and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be downstairs."
Kento could only stare at his mother as she disappeared down the hall. He looked back to the keys in his hands and felt a large smile spread across his face. He was going to get to drive the van! Though it was illegal to let an underage drive, his father had thought it best to teach him anyway, using the excuse of 'What if something happens to me and none of us can drive?' This wouldn't be the first time he'd be allowed to drive, but he relished every chance he got. If the guys could see me now, he grinned to himself.
A loud rumble from his ignored belly finally startled him into movement. Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary between him and his food, Kento turned his steps to a large mountain of clothing shoved in the corner of his room and rummaged for any type of clean clothes. He managed to find a light yellow shirt and some blue jeans tucked in the chaos. As he hurriedly pulled the shirt over his head, something rolled into his path, causing him to slip and fall flat on his face. Kento muffled a curse and lifted himself off the ground, all the while casting his eyes about for the offending object. The little orange orb lay blinking innocently behind his fallen feet. Firing several heated curses in rapid Chinese, Kento reached over and grabbed it off of the floor. Don't know why that damn thing doesn't like to stay on the shelf. As his fingers touched it, the orb flared to life and threw its orange rays around the room. Kento blinked for a moment and the events of the night came rushing forward from the back of his mind where he'd pushed them. He couldn't stave the confusing memories and found himself reliving them again. He saw the forest clearing with its five stone tablets. He saw his name etched in the stone. He saw the white robed figure that he recognized from his dream. He felt the weird sensations of being thrown into a land full of rocks and sand for as far as the eye could see. And he felt the orb pulse in his hand as it had back then. Justice. The kanji danced it the glassy depths as it always did. Kento gazed at the orb that seemed to be blinking at him and then gave a huge sigh of exasperation. Oh forget it. He whacked himself with irritation. I'm so hungry I'm getting delirious.
He didn't bother to replace the orb on his shelf, figuring that it would just fall again, but rather stuffed it into his pocket before starting for the stairs at the end of the hall. As he got closer, he could smell the sweet aromas of the various spices that his parents used in their dishes. He felt his mouth begin to water as he thought of all the delicacies that were waiting for him downstairs. Already, the memories were fading as his mind focused on something he could understand: food. He whistled a jaunty tune as he made a beeline for the kitchen.
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The mountain air was cool and inviting, a contrast to the hotter climate of the valley that they had just come from. Kento shifted the stick into a lower gear as he carefully maneuvered the big van around the curves. At least the road is paved this time. The last time he had come up here, the mountain road was still dirt with numerous potholes caused by the falling rocks. He eased the van through a narrow passage, eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the road. Driving here wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it was going to be. Papa Faun had taught him well, although this was the first time he was driving up here without him. The road remained deserted for miles in both directions and Kento settled happily into the routine, occasionally glancing down at his speed to make sure he wasn't going too fast. The pace was agonizingly slow but he didn't want to chance plunging over the side, despite the fact that railings curved around the edges. As he drove higher, mist from the low-lying clouds began to boil onto the road and Kento switched his lights on. Mist on a mountain pass was the worst to be driving on but fortunately, Kento didn't have farther to drive when he saw the familiar building seemingly rise from the gray white mass. Unlike the little apartment they all shared above the restaurant, this place was huge. The Fauns had taken great pains to carefully meld both Chinese and Japanese architecture together and the result was something to behold. To withstand the unpredictable weather of the mountains, the entire building was made of a kind of light gray stone with blue ceramic tiles that arched over in a typical Chinese curve and met at a triangular point at the top. It was two stories tall but betrayed the frosted windows of a Japanese household. A garden with native Chinese mountain plants lay around its perimeter and the green pine forest stretched from beyond the properties border.
Kento pulled up to the gravel driveway with relief that the arduous drive was over. As he pulled the brakes and switched off the lights, he couldn't help but glance behind him and grinned. Both of his younger brothers were asleep, one leaning on the armrest on the window frame and the other curled up into a ball on the seat cushions. His grandfather was also out like a light. He had his head back with his eyes close and hands crossed over his chest. Kento shook his head at the sight. He had yet to figure out why Grandfather had been so demanding that his three grandsons accompany him to the mountains. He said for a lesson or something or other. He shrugged. His grandfather was beyond him some times, though he had to admit, there was no better time than summer to take a retreat up here. Quietly, so as not to disturb his sleeping family, Kento unbuckled his seat belt and eased outside.
The mountain air was chilly, but the wind brought the warmth from the valley below. Kento took a deep breath and smiled in pleasure. The spring bite was gone from the air and the ground was devoid of the snow that usually littered the area in winter and early spring. Already little grass shoots and buds were beginning to show their faces and poked tentatively through the coverless soil. Kento prodded the soil with his shoe and imagined the scene it would be later in the summer when the hills were covered in blankets of explosive color from the alpine wildflowers. He cast his eyes skyward at the late afternoon sky that shone a bright blue. The clouds were so much closer here as they passed on their way down to the valley. Around him, the craggy peaks rose to tremendous heights, like hands reaching for the sky. Some of the taller ones sported caps of white frost that would remain there all year. A brisk wind rattled the pines and the boughs erupted in a symphony of sound. The mist that Kento had been driving through earlier thickened with the onset of the afternoon. The gray-white tendrils swirled over the landscape, giving it a more surreal appearance. Kento sighed. The mountains were always beautiful this time of year.
"Shu?" The voice nearly startled Kento half out of his skin and he jerked his head around to identify the voice.
Grandfather Faun laughed at Kento's actions, his bony shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth. Slow steps brought him even to where Kento was standing, and he took the time to gaze around him with eyes filled with pleasure. "Yes, the mountains look beautiful don't they?" Kento nodded silently in agreement, his eyes turned back to the crags to take in the wonder of Nature's majesty.
Grandfather Faun chuckled and placed a hand on Kento's shoulder. "There," he continued in Chinese, "The mountains will still be there but for now we must get inside. Help me take the two young ones in."
Kento tore his gaze away with great reluctance. There was just something about the mountains that inspired awe in him. There was such power here. No matter what storms ravaged the land, both nature and otherwise, the mountains would always be there, watching like silent sentinels on the world below. He followed his grandfather back to the van where Yun and Mei Ryu were sill sleeping like logs. Grandfather Faun gently picked up Mei Ryu, leaving Kento to carry Yun into the house.
Kento placed Yun, who still had not stirred, next to Mei Ryu on the sofa of the main living area. Grandfather Faun was bent over the fireplace, where he had just gotten a cheery fire started, eating at the dry logs. Sure that everything was in its place, Kento left and hurriedly returned to the van, grinning. He yanked open the trunk and sighed with delight at the packages of food that were stacked up neatly. Most contained nonperishable items like canned foods and instant ramens, but a few contained white cartons that Kento knew were full of the leftover food from the restaurant dishes. Kento hefted some of the packages and dumped them in the kitchen, spewing its contents all over the table. Without giving it a moment's thought, he tore open one of the cartons and began digging his chopsticks into the noodles that lay therein. He grinned as he stuffed the delicious food in his mouth, his mind justifying his actions by arguing that he had just driven for two and half hours straight.
Sated, at least for the moment, Kento took the time to lick his fingers and then lay back in his chair, taking a moment to let the food he'd just inhaled digest. Giggling and rapid chattering drew Kento's attention back toward the main living area. Darn they're up. Kento grimaced slightly to himself and took himself back to the living room. Yun and Mei Ryu were up all right, and bouncing up and down on the fluffy sofa while they were at it. Kento sighed, and turned to where Grandfather Faun was sitting cross-legged on a mat in front of the fireplace.
"Uh Grandpa . . ." It only took those quiet words to get Grandfather Faun's attention and he smiled up at his oldest grandson.
"I see you've already had your snack," his voice registered amusement as he noticed the slight stains that dotted Kento's shirt from where the sauce had splashed. He watched as Kento's face split into a sheepish grin. "So since you're done," he continued in Chinese, "I want to show you something. Yun! Mei Ryu!"
The two children bounded over to him and stopped just short of crashing into their grandfather, and then managing to execute a formal, if rather clumsy, bow. "Yes Grandpa?" Their Chinese was still high pitched but not in the way that it had been when they were poking fun at each other.
Grandfather Faun smiled and motioned them over toward the back door. He pushed unerringly through the collecting mist and Kento was eaten alive with curiosity. What could be out here that Grandfather Faun wanted to show them? He passed his eyes around the area but couldn't figure out where they were. This area was new to him. He had been here numerous times throughout his life but he had never once seen the area behind the house. They stopped in front of a seemingly impassible cliff that rose straight up into the sky. Kento stared at it in awe and then passed his eyes to the front. There was nothing really outstanding about it and Kento nearly sighed in disappointment. But Grandfather Faun was not done and instead fumbled on the mountain's side for a lever. The rock slab that had been blocking the way parted and revealed the entrance to a cave of some sort. Curiosity again aroused, Kento pushed forward eagerly as his grandfather led the way down the musty tunnel. No lamps lined the tunnel walls and it was only the late afternoon light streaming inside the entrance that illuminated the dimness.
"Hey Grandpa, where are we going?" Kento asked the slowly moving shape ahead of him.
"Patience Shu," the Chinese voice replied, and that was all he would disclose.
"Mannn!" Kento groaned. He crossed his arms behind his head and contented himself with staring at the ceiling until he heard Grandfather Faun's grunt.
"Ahh, here we are."
Kento straightened, bringing his arms back to his sides. "Here?" He gazed into the darkness ahead of him but could make nothing out. Behind him, Yun and Mei Ryu had stopped giggling and were looking between the dark and Grandfather Faun with expressions of disbelief and disappointment.
"But there's nothing here!" Mei Ryu cried out.
Grandfather Faun merely smiled and touched his hand to the wall, depressing the light switch. Lamps flared to life and Kento gaped at the sight.
It was a cave he realized, one that was imbedded within the heart of the mountain. Various trunks and wooden boxes lay strewn across the place. Kento's eyes scanned the walls and saw old tapestries depicting great battles hanging. Layers of dust covered them, but he could still see the great warlords, perched on horses brandishing swords while the air filled with arrows of the opposing side. The silk threads were still in pristine condition. He cast his eyes to the opposite side and saw numerous weapons leaning against the walls. There were ancient swords, bows, spears, and even an iron bo. Kento ran admiring fingers down the side of the bo, then at the other weapons. Rowen and Sage would go nuts here. He couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Even Cye and Ryo would find some interesting things here. Suddenly noticing the silence, Kento looked around in alarm, thinking that maybe he had been left behind. He needn't have worried. Grandfather Faun was bent over an old wooden chest with Yun and Mei Ryu nearby, watching anxiously. Wondering what was so fascinating, not to mention not wanting to be left out of the fun, Kento hurried to their side. The chest Grandfather Faun had opened contained a bunch of old Chinese toys. Some were old and worn while others were in mint condition. Both Yun and Mei Ryu were speechless for once in their life and eagerly dug their hands into the chest, pulling out toys that caught their eye. Finding the two occupied, Granfather Faun rose and smiled up at Kento.
"Grandpa, what is this?" Kento gestured to the cave.
"This is where the family treasures are kept," he replied with a slight smile. "As you know, our family goes back a long while – to the time of the Ching Dynasty in fact. The things you see here are generations worth of heirlooms they brought to Japan when they left China."
Kento stared around wide-eyed. "Did you ever think of selling any of it? This stuff'll be worth a fortune."
"Of course not!" Grandfather Faun scoffed. "We would never even think of such a thing!"
Kento was taken aback by the heated response but Grandfather Faun's expression softened. "No Shu," he said in a more casual tone, "These things have more than monetary value. But come." He motioned him over to a dust-covered trunk, which he opened with great care then handed him one of the leather-bound books inside. Kento took it reverently, then opened it carefully to scan its contents. The pages were yellowed and brittle and contained careful Chinese calligraphy. The words were those of a forgotten generation and Kento could barely make them out. He turned questioning brown eyes on his grandfather who smiled at him.
"These are old records of our family dating back to the Ching Dynasty. There is much in there if you have the time to look at them carefully." Grandfather Faun smiled at him. "Yes they are for you. It is time you learned about our family history."
Kento closed the book reverently, running his fingers over the worn leather covering. Grandfather Faun moved off to inspect another trunk but Kento decided to go check on his two younger siblings instead. One never knew what kind of trouble they'd get themselves into. He found them playing with their newfound toys near where the antique vases were placed carefully in their grooves. Mei Ryu backed up into one and it wobbled on its base. Kento rushed forward to try and save it but he was too late. CRASH! The vase toppled and shattered into a million different pieces. Mei Ryu looked horrified and was quickly backing away, as was Yun. Furious, he rounded on the two culprits. Fear was printed in their eyes and Kento cooled his temper. It wasn't their fault. I should have known this was going to happen. I should have been watching them! Upset now at himself, he realized that the two were going to get in trouble even though it hadn't been their fault. He may get annoyed with them, but they didn't deserve to get punished because he hadn't been watching them. He turned to where another small vase stood, black with pink roses with green leaves and gold swirls printed on it and apologized silently. He smacked it hard and the vase tottered of its stand and fell, sounding another earsplitting crash.
Grandfather Faun was sufficiently aroused now and stalked over to where the three of them were standing among the shattered pieces. It took him only one horrified glance at the ground to know what happened.
"The vases . . ," he trailed off and Kento thought he was going to cry.
Kento hung his head, "I'm sorry Grandpa," he said miserably. "It just tipped . . ."
"Shu? You did this?"
Kento nodded, his gaze trained on the floor. "I'm sorry Grandpa I didn't mean to."
Yun and Mei Ryu wisely kept quiet, their gazes switching between Kento and Grandfather Faun. Grandfather Faun closed his eyes in pain. "It's . . . all right Shu. There is nothing to be done about it now. Let us just go." Before anything else gets broken. The unspoken words hung in the air. Kento hung his head and followed his grandfather out, inwardly relieved that his brothers had gotten off but also horrified that he had broken a priceless family heirloom. No words were said between the four as Grandfather Faun switched off the lights, plunging them all into darkness, and headed back down the tunnel. Even Yun and Mei Ryu dared not break the silence.
Outside, the afternoon had darkened to twilight. Stars had begun to rise in the deep blue sky and the sun was just disappearing beneath the horizon. The air was cool and Kento shivered. Grandfather Faun waited until they had cleared the entrance before fumbling again with the lever that would close the rocks. Kento sent a very subdued Yun and Mei Ryu on ahead to the house and waited silently for his grandfather, all the while wondering what sort of punishment he was going to get. The rock halves slid together smoothly, but when they crashed together, some loose rocks above became dislodged. A deep rumble pulled Kento's attention skyward when he was suddenly pelted with rubble. He squinted into the gloom of twilight to see what was the matter and let loose a cry of horror. Some huge boulders were falling at full speed right toward his grandfather.
"Grandpa!" Kento cried out a warning and ran full speed, knowing that his grandfather would not make it out in time.
Grandfather Faun was staring up in horror and had begun to move but it was obvious that his shuffling steps would not let him out of the danger zone in time.
Kento hit his grandfather full force, flinging him deep into the underbrush of the pine trees and far out of harm's way.
"Shu!"
Kento barely heard the agonized cry as the boulders hit him, crushing him under an avalanche of rock. Kento lay under the pile, wondering what it felt like to die. He closed his eyes, sending silent prayers and apologizes to his family and friends as he waited for death to overtake him. Something flared and Kento felt himself spiraling into orange light. He let it take hold of him, wondering again if this was what it meant to die. It took Kento a moment before he realized that he wasn't dead, and a second more to realize that he wasn't in pain either. He opened his eyes in astonishment and saw the boulders that covered him reflecting an odd orange light. Kento's eyes flailed around for the source of that light when he happened to glance at his hand . . . and would have staggered backwards if he hadn't been lying flat on his stomach. His hand was glowing orange. No, not just his hand. His entire body was glowing, he realized in shock. He was surrounded by a bright orange aura that seemed to pulse in time to his quickened heartbeat. His mind placed it as the same as the time in the forest, when he had seen his friends glowing weird colors. Then it wasn't a dream?! Another thought crossed his mind, similar to the first and he reached under the pressing rocks to yank his orb out of his pocket.
It was shining brightly now, its kanji clearly visible in the darkness created by the fallen rocks. Justice. The little orb left his hand of its own accord and rolled across the dirt. Then it levitated into the air, suspended directly even with Kento's astonished brown eyes. The orb began to rotate on its axis, slowly at first then picking up speed. As it did so, the glow became brighter and brighter, orange rays shooting out from its center. One seemingly random beam happened to land on Kento's forehead and remained there, its orange light intensifying. Kento gasped at the energy that was flowing into him from the orb. With that energy came silent words. Justice. Kento of Hardrock. Warrior of Justice. The rocks dislodged with Kento's labored breathing and pressed in closer. Kento was no longer paying attention. The energy blocked out everything and the orange light blinded everything from sight. As he closed his eyes, he felt, rather than saw, something implant himself on his forehead.
"Gi – Justice," he whispered without thinking.
The kanji that had implanted itself on his forehead flared and the rocks that tumbled in closer, falling then disappearing into his glowing body. Kento felt himself absorbing the rock but had no time to wonder at it. He could feel the grains of dirt that lay on him, could feel the ground beneath him. His spirit traveled into the very depths of the earth and into the center where the continental plates rubbed against each other, producing earthquakes. He traveled upward and became part of the majestic mountains he admired so much and then to the endless sea of stand that stretched for miles. He was the earth that would endure forever, that would stand by in strength against the elements. Kento opened his eyes as the sensations passed, no longer afraid of the boulders that would not crush him. The rocks that had fallen on him coalesced to form a suit of orange and white metal. He raised his hand and saw that it fit snuggly over him, and that it coursed with energy. I can feel it! He thought in astonishment. He curled his metal-encased hand into a fist and jabbed upward. Shards of rock flew everywhere and Kento could see the night sky through the hole he had made. He took another jab, shattering the rock with the pure force of his blow. The remaining rocks burst open and Kento rose to his feet. His eyes stared at the remaining rubble and then at his orange orb that had risen with the extra space and remained hovering before him. Kento stretched out a hand and grasped the orb from the air. It flashed as he grasped it and the metal on him glowed, returning to orange light that flowed back into the orb. The orb flared briefly with a brilliant light then stilled. Kento drew the orb closer to examine it and then down at himself. But both remained as it had before. Perfectly ordinary.
Kento stared between himself and the orb with an expression of dazed confusion. Then he recalled something that blew it away like smoke in a fierce wind.
"Grandpa!"
Shoving the orb back in his pocket, Kento ran to where he had pushed his grandfather into the pines. He crashed to the underbrush calling his grandfather's name in anguish. To his immense relief, he was rewarded with a small groan and rushed to his grandfather's side. Grandfather Faun raised his head at Kento's voice and carefully pushed himself upright in his grandson's arms. He threw his bony arms around his eldest grandson, hugging him close with relief.
"Shu! You're all right!"
Kento held his grandfather close with the same intensity, relieved, as he looked him over, that he had only been bruised and cut. The bushes had cushioned his fall when he had shoved his grandfather into the underbrush.
"I'm just glad you are too grandpa," Kento said, tears brimming in his eyes.
The two did not need to exchange any more words and Kento, though unsteady from his experience, managed to carry his grandfather back to the house. Yun and Mei Ryu watched with bewilderment as Kento staggered in with his load, managing to set his grandfather carefully in his bed upstairs before he too collapsed in his own room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was no longer at the carnival. Rather, he was drifting through a sea of blackness, that place where the mind goes unconsciously. He couldn't hear or feel anything. The only thing his mind saw was an armor. A full body samurai armor of orange. The overlapping metal looked as if it would fit perfectly on him, the exact size. Its helmet consisted of two white horns protruding from it, one longer than the other and curved into a crescent. Two other, smaller horns rose from its shoulders and it carried a long iron bo, with a naginata blade on one end, in its hands. Kento shifted in his sleep. The image projected a warmth that told him it would keep him safe. He smiled slightly in his sleep and sank deeper in the covers, letting the armor hover over him protectively, shielding him from all the illusions of the dark.
Beneath the haphazard covers, a small orange orb flared to life, its orange rays streaking up into the mountains and into the night sky. It stopped almost abruptly and stopped its shimmer. Kento of Hardrock. Warrior of Justice. 'Soon' it seemed to be saying. And the silent words agreed.