Disclaimer:I own nothing, am making no money from this and am doing it purely for enjoyment.
Chapter 14
Kambei stood in the center of the village, eyes closed and senses alert. The warm breeze tugged at his hair and clothing playfully, but he paid it no mind. So far there was nothing. No distant sounds of battle, no hum of machinery, no smell of blood, just the calm of night. Everyone was in position, the women and children were safely hidden away, all they could do now was wait.
The sound of someone approaching caught his attention and he turned to find Shichiroji coming toward him with an armload of swords. Kambei immediately went to help him, taking some of the burden.
"I'm surprised you were able to gather so many," Kambei said appreciatively.
"So am I. Not great quality, but they'll work in a pinch."
They worked in silence for a while, planting the swords in the ground for easy access should any of them need one in the heat of battle.
"You should get some rest," Shichiroji said, sticking the last sword in the ground and then leaning on it lightly.
"I slept a little earlier."
"If you're talking about that little half nap half meditation thing you had going on a few hours ago, that crap doesn't count. You weren't even relaxed, you had this look," Shichiroji said, screwing his brows up and tightening his mouth in a very unflattering imitation.
"I did not look like that," Kambei said, feeling insulted by constipated look on his friends face.
"Oh yes you did," he said with a grin.
A comfortable silence settled between the two as they stared up at the clear, bright moon.
"It's funny how things work out, isn't it?" Shichiroji asked quietly. "I never would have imagined I'd be staring up at the sky from another battlefield with you."
"Funny isn't quite the word I'd use…." Kambei said, then smirked. "I seem to remember you being quite amazed every time we saw another day together. You were always so sure we were going to die each time we went into battle."
"That's because you're a crazy bastard. I'm not sure what was worse; when you had a plan or when you were just winging it."
"My plans were brilliant," Kambei said, partially believing it and partially lying through his teeth.
Shichiroji snorted. "Yeah, brilliant. Like that time you decided hiding in the pile of dead enemies was a good idea and we almost got cremated? Oh, or maybe that genius plot of yours hijack a Nobuseri and fly it back to the flag ship?"
"I knew you were going to bring that up...." Kambei muttered under his breath. "I still think that would have worked."
"I lost my damn arm!"
"I did not tell you to stick your arm in there. That wasn't part of my plan so do not blame it on me."
They glared at each other a moment before both of them started laughing. Shichiroji squatted on the ground, one armed wrapped around his waist the other braced on the planted sword. Still laughing, he choked out, "That is so not funny, that hurt like hell! But your face...." He lost it again, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "And you said 'fuck'!"
Kambei tried to pull back his laughter enough to look outraged. "I did not!"
Shichiroji nodded, almost collapsing on the ground. "You did! You said, 'Shichiroji! What the FUCK are you doing?!' And you had this look on your face like I was shitting on your mothers grave!"
"What about you? Your genius answer was 'I thought I should stick something in there'. The typical Shichiroji solution for any hole."
As they both fought for air, Kambei wondered how long it'd been since he'd laughed like this. He honestly couldn't remember. It felt good.
As if reading his mind, Shichiroji, wiping the tears away and grinning broadly, looked up and him and said, "Damn, I've missed you."
Kambei smiled softly at his old friend and offered him a helping hand up. "I've missed you, too. I'm sorry I dragged you into this, but I'm glad to have you by my side again."
Shichiroji clapped a hand on Kambei's arm. "The feelings mutual, old friend."
The sound of an explosion rolled in from the west, drawing them from the moment.
"Any predictions for this one?" Kambei asked, still looking to the west.
"Yeah, we're probably all going to die."
"Let's hope you once again find your self pleasantly surprised by your continued life ."
Kyuzo wandered between the posts like a ghost, silently slipping by after observing in silence. But on the inside he was more like a caged animal, restlessly prowling for prey that was just out of his reach. He'd been stalking the perimeter of the village for a while and was feeling more and more tightly wound with each passing hour. His mind was a messy loop of chained emotions writhing to be free then being brutally locked down, only to worm their way back to the surface once again. Images of Kambei and the pleasant feelings that accompanied him clashed with brief flashes of training and battles viewed with new eyes, making his stomach clench as he fought them back down. And he was angry. Angry that he was feeling anything at all. Angry that he was so out of sorts when a battle was about to begin. Angry that he was angry. His skin felt like it was stretched to tight, his muscles twitched and his fingers itched for an opponent.
Stopping in the deepest shadows just outside of Heihachi's post, he tried to focus on the soothing sound of the waterfall, to let it ease his agitated mind. After a few minutes it seemed to help a little. He leaned back against a tree and took a deep breath, letting the clean, water scented air loosen the knot in his chest.
He watched the farmers standing rigidly in their positions, tense and ready. They truly had come a long way.
They've gotten stronger. You've gotten weaker.
The unwelcome thought made his lip curl in irritation. He had not gotten weaker. He was just a little.... off kilter. The approach of Heihachi prevented him from mentally ripping that excuse apart.
The other samurai flashed him a sunny grin as he approached, but it was brief and Kyuzo could see an underlying seriousness that belied his easygoing countenance.
"How are things at the other posts?" He asked, leaning against the tree to Kyuzo's left and staring back toward the waterfall. Kyuzo was slightly amused to note the farmers nervously looking their way, as if they were afraid Heihachi was just going to disappear and leave them there alone.
"Everything is in order," he answered.
"About earlier...." Heihachi started uncomfortably, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't mean for it to seem like I was running off tattling on you or anything."
Kyuzo shrugged, "You informed a commander of a subordinates odd behavior. It was your duty to do so."
"That's not.... Ok, yeah, that's true, but more than that, I informed a friend that another friend could use his help."
"A friend...." Kyuzo said dubiously, glancing at Heihachi. While he wasn't exactly sure what it took to be considered such, he did know it was something he lacked.
"Yes, a friend," Heihachi replied, turning so only one shoulder was leaning against the tree and looking Kyuzo right in the eye.
"I meet the requirements?" He asked curiously.
"Well, when you care what happens to someone and they care what happens to you, that's considered friendship. If they were in trouble, you'd want to help them and they'd do the same for you."
"A mutually beneficial agreement. An ally."
"Yes.... essentially. But someone you can count on in times of peace as well as war. You support each other but you also just simply enjoy spending time together."
"And you consider me to be such a person?"
"Everything has to start somewhere, Kyuzo."
"Yet you consider the Kambei to be the person needed to 'help' me," Kyuzo remarked shrewdly, pointing out that although Heihachi's words marked him as a 'friend', his actions countered his logic.
"Well, while I consider you a friend, it's obvious that the person you care most for is Kambei. He's in the best position to be your confidant."
He makes me weak....
The thought hit him like a physical blow. It had been lingering in the back of his mind for a while, but he'd refused to acknowledge it. The thought that his currently unraveling state was due to the time he spent with Kambei was bothersome. Because he enjoyed his time with Kambei and didn't think he could give it up even if these were the results.
"Having someone you care about isn't a weakness. I think you'll find that when you have someone important to protect, it actually makes you stronger."
Kyuzo's eyes shot to him, realizing in horror that he must have spoken the words aloud. Heihachi's usually creased eyes were looking at him so earnestly that it made him uncomfortable.
What kind of idiotic reasoning is that? Logic from the weak.
He mentally snorted. But underneath he could feel more questions forming.
An explosion ripped through the air to the west, making both Kyuzo and Heihachi tense and scaring the hell out of the farmers. One of them actually fell over much to Kyuzo's disgust.
"You should go. See if Gorobei needs any help," Heihachi said, moving back towards the cliff side a bit.
"No. They will strike here next," Kyuzo said confidently, also moving closer.
They'd discussed earlier how the waterfall would be a point of focus for the bandits. A basic military strategy, but that was most likely all the Raiden possessed. It was showing a little more creativity than they gave it credit for by attacking the western post first, but Kyuzo was still sure there would be a decent attack from this front.
And he hand no intention of missing it.
His hyperaware senses picked up the approaching battle turtle easily. He saw it well before Heihachi, his sharp eyes seeing the arrow bomb being leveled at them as if in slow motion.
His mind finally settled into a blissful calm.
Unconcerned, he pulled both of his blades just as Heihachi was becoming aware of the threat. He whipped one blade toward the approaching bomb, releasing it from his grip and grabbing Heihachi, shielding him with his own body as it flew threw the air and pierced the arrow, triggering the explosion before it could reach them. The air was still ablaze when he spun and launched himself through the fiery aftermath, pouncing on the stunned mimizuku on the other side and knocking it from it's mount while simultaneously cleaving it in half.
He left the wreckage behind, snatching his still smoking sword from a nearby tree where it had wedged itself after the explosion. He finally felt like himself again. The tension in his body was nonexistent and his mind felt at ease and ready for what was to come.
As he came out of the lingering smoke, he noticed Heihachi looking at him strangely, a soft smile on his face. A bubble of curiosity started to form but he popped it easily, brushing past the other samurai and moving toward the waterfall, where the sound of approaching machinery could be heard. The explosion must have served as a signal for the troops waiting below.
"You should be more careful with your injuries," Heihachi called out, following behind him.
Kyuzo smirked. He hadn't even noticed a twinge of pain.
I'm still not thanking that bastard.
He blinked, startled by the sudden venomous thought. His calm slipped a notch and he stopped in his tracks. The twang of bowstrings surrounded him as the farmers opened fire on the advancing machines, but it was just pointless background noise to his struggle.
The first tobito that arrived drew his wrath, he threw himself at it without a second thought. As soon as it caught his eye he had felt that calm settle back in and his only thought was maintaining it.
He heard someone yell his name and only then, as his blade sunk into the tobito with a satisfying chink, did he realize he'd jumped right off the side of the cliff onto his opponent.
With his battle calm firmly in place once again, this new development was only a mild annoyance. Pushing off the wreckage as it started to fall, he leapt effortlessly and landed directly on it's partner. He ended it's existence with another easy stroke before jumping back to the ground next to the farmers.
His eyes were immediately drawn to the battle with the foot soldiers that had appeared. Heihachi was wielding his blade in a manner that was far from "sloppy", as he usually claimed to be. He moved easily into the fray; turning, jumping, slicing and stabbing. A familiar dance. His mind was finally back to it's well ordered norm, but he didn't feel relief, just that familiar emptiness.
He turned from his position in the middle of the wreckage to see the farmers staring at him with wide eyes. Heihachi, on the other hand, was watching him with an intensity that was disconcerting.
"I wish you'd show a little more care for your own wellbeing, Kyuzo," he said slowly, obviously picking his words with care.
Kyuzo blinked at him then promptly disregarded his words. The sight of smoke raising over the trees caught his attention.
"The village has been breached. I'm going," he said, moving toward the forest.
"I'm coming too," Heihachi said behind him. "The attack here should be over," he directed at the farmers. "There weren't enough of them for many more to be directed to attack this one area. Stay alert and keep an eye out for stragglers though."
Kyuzo was off before the last word was out of Heihachi's mouth, moving quickly and silently through the forest. He could sense Heihachi right behind him.
His blankness was fading again, leaving one blaring thought.
Kambei....
Was he safe? Kambei was an excellent samurai and Kyuzo trusted his skill, but still he felt....worried.
Weak....
But Heihachi's words floated through his mind, overriding that harshly hissed word as he forced his body to move faster.
Kambei and Shichiroji stood silently in the center of the village. Waiting. How Kambei hated waiting. With much practice, he knew that he'd perfected the art of looking calm and patient, but on the inside he was itching for action.
It hadn't been long after the explosion in the west that another was heard in the north. The light playful breeze of earlier now carried the sent of smoke and ash. And still they waited.
The sound of rushing footfalls almost made him sigh in relief. Finally, some news. Rikichi came running into view moments later shouting, "They're here!" He faintly heard Shichiroji snort behind him. Panting as he slid to a stop in front of the two samurai, Rikichi continued with less obvious news.
"There were six mimizuku foot soldiers seen on the western cliff, eight on the southern path, and ten more in the north, plus two armored yakan units."
"And the Raiden?" Kambei asked, wanting to have a location on the bandit.
Rikichi shook his head, "Still no sign of him."
Another explosion, this time in the south, sent Rikichi whipping around.
"Do you know where Katsushiro and Kyuzo currently are?" Kambei asked, drawing Rikichi's distressed expression back to him.
"Last I heard Kyuzo was with Heihachi in the northern post, and Katsushiro was assisting Gorobei in the west," he replied, pulling himself together.
Kambei nodded, satisfied with the answer. A small disgruntled voice in the back of his mind was busily muttering about how Kyuzo had stationed himself at the point most likely to be the hardest hit. But it really wasn't a surprise, he just hoped he was alright. His thoughts were sidelined by the whistling sound of incoming arrows. Both he and Shichiroji turned toward it, releasing their weapons. Fiery arrows descended on the village from the west, causing Rikichi to cry out in horror.
"Rikichi, see about putting out those fires, but make sure to stay out of the way," Kambei said calmly as he and Shichiroji made there way toward the sound of an advancing troop.
Two mimizuku on battle turtles and ten more on foot greeted them on the outskirts of the village. Nothing he and Shichiroji couldn't handle. Glancing at his friend, he smirked at the eager look on his face. Shichiroji caught the look and smirked right back at him.
"Why don't you go take a nap, old man. I've got this covered."
And with that cocky line, he launched himself at the approaching enemies. Kambei, shaking his head, followed closely behind.
They worked together like a well oiled machine; sliding, ducking, slicing and weaving in an intricate dance that could never be forgotten. As if one was simply an extension of the other. Kambei's focus darted from one opponent to the next, using the least amount of moves to accomplish his goal, but part of his attention was always on Shichiroji. He always knew where the other man was, what he was doing, and most importantly, if he needed help. Which he never did, but it made Kambei feel better knowing for a fact.
They cut through the unorganized line easily, not even breathing hard by the time it was over. They stood in the center of the ring of fallen enemies, surveying their work. Shichiroji was poking one with his foot, as if he hoped it would get back up and continue the fight. When it just flopped around he turned a disgruntled eye on Kambei.
"Well, that was ridiculously anticlimactic."
Kambei shrugged and turned back toward the center of the village where Rikichi was running around with buckets of water. It seemed a futile task in Kambei's opinion, but it kept him from being hurt in the fight.
"You hogged more than your share, too," Shichiroji complained following behind him.
"I did not. Take it up with Kyuzo, he's the one that left us with so few opponents," Kambei answered blandly.
"Yeah, well maybe I will," Shichiroji answered, but the volume of his voice had dropped and sounded less than certain. Kambei almost laughed out loud at the thought of Shichiroji saying such a thing to Kyuzo. And how little Kyuzo would care. Some of his amusement must have shown through because Shichiroji laughed, "OK, so maybe not."
Stopping a few feet from a frantic Rikichi who was still throwing water on a burning hut, Shichiroji shook his head.
"I think that's a lost cause, Rikichi."
"But-"
Whatever he was about to say was interrupted as a loud clanking approached. Both Kambei and Shichiroji reached for their weapons, then relaxed when they saw it was just Kikuchiyo.
"Kikuchiyo," Shichiroji said, sounding aggravated. "Why aren't you at your post?"
"My sword broke! I need-"
An eruption of gunfire sent them all diving for cover, Kambei pushing Rikichi harshly to the ground in front of him. Looking over his shoulder he could make out the hazy silhouette of the Raiden leading his own contingent of foot soldiers and yakan units. Kikuchiyo's abandonment of his post must have provided the opening he'd had been waiting for.
Kambei sighed. Well, at least he wasn't wondering where he'd be coming from anymore. He did wish they'd been able to face him and his troops further away from the settlement though. It was looking like they were going to cause some serious damage to the farmers homes.
He, Shichiroji and Rikichi managed to scurry behind a nearby hut while Kikuchiyo stayed hunkered down near one of the burning ones. Movement to their left drew Kambei and Shichiroji's attention and they turned to see Heihachi and Kyuzo dart into the village.
"Good timing," Shichiroji whispered.
Kambei disagreed though. He'd honestly hoped that Kyuzo would be detained somewhere else when the battle with the Raiden presented itself. There was too many ways this could go wrong should Kyuzo recklessly make a wrong move.
The foot soldiers and yakan were flooding into the village now, obviously intent on flushing them out into the open. Kikuchiyo had abandoned his "toothpick" for a large piece of fiery timber which he was wielding with surprising success.
"Shichiroji, protect Rikichi," Kambei instructed, moving out into the fray.
As he fought, he kept his senses alert, watching over all his samurai. He immediately noticed the arrival of Gorobei and Katsushiro as they joined fight from the west. Heihachi had moved to help Shichiroji fight and protect Rikichi. And Kyuzo....
Kyuzo was edging his way toward the Raiden.
"Traitor!"
Who was apparently holding a grudge. Great.
Kyuzo seemed to perk up at being addressed as such and abandoned his subtle approach, outright rushing the bandit. The huge sword raced toward Kyuzo in move much swifter than Kambei had anticipated, making his heart leap into his throat. Kyuzo, too, seemed to be caught off guard by the action, having to skid to a stop and dart backward to avoid the tip of the blade.
And then the huge Nobuseri gun was aimed directly at him.
Kambei barely felt the cut of an opponents sword as it sliced his shoulder, all he could see was Kyuzo staring in that barrel, waiting for death.
"Kyuzo!"
Kambei blinked. Katsushiro's voice was loud and panicked as it echoed over the sound of the battle. His eyes widened as the kid seemed to come out of nowhere, yelling as he cut through the Raiden's gun.
Unfortunately, the Raiden had already been pulling the trigger when Katsushiro made contact, causing the entire gun to explode. Katsushiro was still in the air when the blast hit him, sending him crashing backwards and toward the ground. In a move faster than Kambei's eyes could even follow, Kyuzo had darted forward and caught him before he struck the ground. Apparently the impact was too much for Kyuzo's ribs though, because Kambei could make out the look of pain that blossomed across his face as his knees buckled.
Completely unaware of the Raiden coming at him from behind.
A fierce protective fury rolled over Kambei, sharpening his vision and muting the sounds of the battle behind him. He reached the Raiden just as it was raising it's sword. His first strike cut through it's midsection, then he leapt up to it's head, mercilessly decapitating it. Jumping back to the ground, he didn't even turn to watch it fall.
The fight was almost over, Gorobei and Shichiroji were taking care of the few remaining foot soldiers. But he barely gave them a passing glance, his attention was drawn to sight of the blond samurai kneeling next to a prone Katsushiro, putting pressure on a nasty stomach wound.
As he neared, he could see that Katsushiro was unconscious and the wound, while bleeding a lot, seemed superficial. But his breathing sounded wrong. His brow furrowed in concern as he knelt next to him, some part of him unclenching at Kyuzo's warm presence.
Until he realized it wasn't Katsushiro's breathing that sounded wrong.
His head whipped toward Kyuzo, whose harsh shallow gasps were shaking his thin frame as he fought for air. A thin sheen of sweat covered his pale face. He turned his crimson eyes toward him, seemingly unconcerned with his fight for air as they zeroed in on his shoulder.
"You're....injured." His deep voice was quiet, whispered out between breaths, his brow furrowing in concern.
Fear curled through Kambei's chest, threatening to choke off his own air supply.
"Oh no...."
Rikichi's shocked voice barely registered in his frozen brain.
Only when a thick wet cough sent Kyuzo doubling over, blood splattering the ground and speckling those down turned lips, did the panic truly set in.
Author's Note: Oh man, I had a hard time writing this chapter. I was hopping between it and two other stories, which I hate doing. I prefer to focus on one thing at a time. Hopefully it doesn't read as choppy as it felt writing it.
I love writing Shichiroji and Kambei together, they have such a wonderful history, I just want to explore it. I feel like other aspects of their characters only come out when they're together. They were inching into crack territory in this chapter.... I'll have to keep an eye on them.
Now a random side note regarding how Kyuzo and Kambei refer to the Nobuseri. When writing for Kyuzo, he refers to the Raiden, Spider, etc. as "it" while Kambei refers to them as "him". It felt more natural to have Kambei still see a bit of humanity in them. But that makes things a little confusing during the action sequences, so even though it's Kambei's POV, I still may have referred to the Raiden as "it" a few times for the sake of clarity. So... If you didn't notice, excellent, forget about this note. If you did, sorry for any confusion.