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Entrance to the Temple Escape Tunnel
Five Minute's Later
Master Tomoe Sanada's POV
"Got a plan B Master Sanada?" Dawn asked without changing the direction of her gaze.
Good move.
When you were surrounded by bandits and disgraced swordsmen with the numbers being four to one against you only an idiot look away from the enemy.
"'Try not to die'." She replied even as her brain scrambled to come up with an alternative.
Their good luck had lasted quite a bit with the conditions this far down having rotted through the triggers of the various traps causing them to spring ages ago. All that the three of them had been forced to do was snap or break anything blocking their path and it was full steam ahead. It'd been when they'd exited the clear cut stone walls and entered a much cruder construct but one that nevertheless cemented their arrival at the entrance of the escape tunnel. The work done to keep the tunnel from collapsing in on itself was solid enough but there was zero signs of artistic additions.
Function over appearance.
As a group they'd entered and she'd been about ready to begin with their monster impersonation routine when her instincts had screamed out in warning. Without thinking, without commanding, she pulled her katana from its sheath executing two ki infused strikes in the direction where her instincts felt the danger was located.
It was a good thing she'd acted so swiftly because with her strikes she managed to destroy two crossbow bolts mid-flight that if she hadn't acted would've hit her and Dawn. When she'd looked at the broken remains of the bolts the discolouration on them had told her that both of them had been dipped in poison. Given her past experience she could come up with two or three possibilities but none of them would've failed to kill them.
It'd been then, with the element of surprise lost, that what she'd thought were piles of stony debris were in fact enemies hiding beneath black blankets. She didn't know how long they might've been waiting but it confirmed that someone knew about the temple's underground chambers AND the escape tunnel. She still couldn't come up with any suspects but that wasn't unexpected since only an idiot shouted out what they knew for all to hear.
"As wise as I'd expected of you MASTER Sanada." A cocky and cruel voice said from behind one of the few stalagmites big enough to conceal a person.
In an instant she recognized the voice and just as swiftly every ill feeling she had jumped on the identity that came to mind.
"Shishio Hazama." She growled even as a man stepped out that matched her memory of the monster that used to be her student.
Used to be and if it'd been possible she would've erased from existence so his name NEVER became attached to her family's style of swordsmanship.
"You remember me! I'm TOUCHED!" Shishio exclaimed with false emotion before his all too familiar cruel smile showed itself, "I hope you're not above one more match. I've been practicing ever since you KICKED ME OUT!"
"You did it to yourself!" She growled the urge to kill the bastard burning strongly within her body, "You used what I taught you to intimidate, torture and KILL innocent people. The only reason you're still alive is because that idiot they put in charge of the pursuit force screwed up!"
"No, no, no…he didn't screw up." Shishio said with much amusement, "WISED up. I managed to convince him that it would be best if he 'failed' to capture me and make sure that any decent clues got 'lost' before anyone could see them. In exchange for his enlightened view I drop a bag of coin on his doorstep every few months and help him satiate the 'appetites' that the law would never allow."
Fuck.
When weeks had gone by without any confirmed capture she'd assumed that the bastard in front of her had simply been that good at evading pursuit. To find out that one of people supposed to bring him to justice had instead been helping him in exchange for sickening pleasures only angered her more. WHEN they got out of this she planned on confronting the jackass in charge and 'persuading' him to make a full confession before Godo of his MANY crimes.
Then she'd go over every other 'old acquaintance' that hadn't been captured or had gotten off a little too easy.
"Good to know. Gives me one more target to let all of Wutai know that the Bloody Rose is back." She said putting on her best unnerving feral grin, "As for one more match I'm ready. Are you?
"Oh I think you're mistaken." Shishio said with a chiding tone, "When I said 'match' I didn't mean one-on-one. I meant…you and your new student against ALL OF US! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Figures.
Not even enough honour to face her by himself.
"Don't worry about the princess though. Me and the boys'll take GOOD care of her." Shishio said in a way that made it clear that a sane person WOULD worry, "We're being paid a lot of coin to turn her over alive and 'mostly' unharmed. The rest of you…well I think you can figure that part out for yourself."
Had Shishio figured out who she'd been charged to protect during the pursuit or had he known all along? It was feasible that once it became clear that Yuffie wasn't in the capitol anymore a bounty could've been put out by the kidnappers. Then, once enough details about the pursuit circulated, the asshole had probably put the clues together to arrive at the truth. Double his payday no doubt!
So what could they do to get out of this mess?
There were too many assholes to fight and expect to win, no cover to hide behind to up the odds in their favour and even the idea of punching a hole in the enemy lines to flee through wasn't all that great. Shishio might be an ex-student of hers but he'd learned enough from her that he knew how she fought and beating him wouldn't be an instant one move thing. It'd take a few moves and the odds of the brats holding off the rest until she ended him weren't good. Still…both of them possessed strength no one would guess at by looks alone and with strength came speed unless the person was seriously bulky. In a confined space like this it wouldn't take them long to cross gaps.
With the element of surprise and her keeping Shishio out of the equation there was a chance, however small, that at least they could get away.
"Oh I can figure out a lot but you're forgetting one thing Shishio." She said bracing herself for the fight to come, "The one thing that can turn any carefully laid plan into nothing more than a pile of shit."
"Oh? And what's that?" Shishio asked not sounding worried in the least.
"SURPRISE!" She yelled before charging him as swiftly as she could.
Seeing his eyes widen in shock she took that as confirmation that he hadn't been expecting such a reckless or direct move. Not without cause of course since in all the lessons she'd had with him she'd never failed to make him pay for trying something boneheaded like this. One might think that doing it herself was stupid since the bastard would know how to counter it by using her own counters against her.
However those people would be wrong.
All of the counters she'd used against Shishio had been spur of the moment creations since back then she hadn't considered him to be worth getting serious with.
If he tried to use them against her she'd trump them with pure skill and keep powering through.
By the time she reached him all he could do was bring his likely stolen katana up to block her attack and immediately she locked him in that position to keep him from moving.
"RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" She yelled in the general direction of Yuffie and Dawn, "I'LL CATCH UP!"
"But-" Yuffie began to protest.
"NOW!" She yelled in a way that gave zero room for argument.
"Don't turn out to be a liar Master Sanada." Dawn said in a grim and serious tone.
With that she could hear the two of them running for the tunnel and a few seconds later violence coupled with exclamations of surprise. It looked like her hope was well founded and as long as she could keep Shishio too busy to give out orders the rest of the thugs would do whatever seemed best at the time. That disorganization would be another thing Dawn and Yuffie could take advantage of if they were smart.
Hopefully they could hold out long enough for her to finish off Shishio and take down their pursuers from the rear.
"AAAHHHH!" Came dual cries of pain followed by two sounds eerily like two people falling to the ground in pain.
Unable to prevent herself she began to look away from Shishio only to realize halfway through the act that she was making a mistake.
Too little and almost too late.
With a sudden jerk Shishio not only dislodged her katana from his but also moved it out of position for a quick strike from her side of things.
But not for his.
Pushing herself backward to evade the attack she almost succeeded, ALMOST, but in the end the scum's blade succeeded in drawing blood from her arm. The cut wasn't deep but she could already tell that without a potion or the use of Cure Materia her ability to fight with a sword would be impaired. Enough for Shishio to beat her?
Not a chance in HELL!
"Hahahahahaha! I have to admit I didn't think you'd try something so stupid but I guess when you're all boxed in like this desperate moves are about all you can make." Shishio said as he took in the sight of her blood on his blade, "Keeping me busy while the brats make a run for it. I considered that tactic the second I learned you were holed up here and made sure to have a few 'friends' ready with Bolt Materia waiting in the tunnel for any runners. They barely put enough mana into their orbs to make it work but as you can see it's effective. Any other desperate plans MASTER or should we just end things here and now?"
"You've gotten a lot cockier since I kicked you out." She said adjusting her posture so that she wouldn't put quite as much strain on her injured arm, "I taught you everything you know and I was ventilating the insides of thugs like these while I still had my virginity. This situation is FAR from decided."
"Nice try but you and I both know this is all but a done deal." Shishio said confidence not wavering even a little, "You're injured, your only backup is lucky to be conscious never mind in a position to help you and you're outnumbered. You don't need to be a genius to know how things are going to go."
"Maybe…maybe not." She said not showing even a moment of weakness, "History is filled with warriors who thought they could not lose only to end up as food for the crows."
"You should heed your own advice." Shishio said bringing his blade up, "It might be you who winds up feeding the crows."
With those words he attacked and so they became joined in battle once more the filth deliberately striking to take full advantage of her weakened arm. However knowing where he was going strike gave her something of an advantage but she expected that he would attempt to trick her before striking somewhere else. If she didn't want to find out just how good an actor the bastard really was she needed to end this swiftly. If she waited for too long then even if she gained substantial momentum Shishio would no doubt signal his 'allies' to join in on the fun.
However a swift and decisive victory would demoralize the cannon fodder making truly spineless flee and those that remained would be weakened mentally.
With that in mind she began to unleash a series of moves meant not to do damage but rather to gain a better understanding of Shishio's present threat level. Was he just as good as he'd been all those years ago or had things changed somewhat? With ever exchange she gathered information and in her mind a picture began to form. Her ex-student did indeed retain all that she had taught him but she saw signs that he had also taken on immoral practices. No doubt he'd picked up all manner of dishonourable tactic and technique not caring how they made him look so long as he claimed victory in the end.
However it wasn't long before she gained an accurate grasp of the asshole's physical prowess and seeing his personality it wasn't hard to guess at his tactics.
Now was the time to put her plan into motion.
Unlike her opponent she would not make her intentions obvious nor take the road normally travelled but rather she would act as a predator maneuvering its prey into a fatal position. Move by move she struck and to an outside observer it would seem to be nothing more than a normal duel between wielders of the blade.
But those who took their studies seriously and had sufficient experience to perceive the truth would know that she was setting up Shishio for his defeat.
When she judged the moment right she began to remove strength from her injured arm to make it look as though the loss of blood was sapping its strength. To the fools watching it would look to be a sign that the fight was soon to end since a swordswoman with only one arm could only put half as much strength into her blade. Given that the fools likely saw women as weak and inferior to begin with and Shishio's victory would appear to be all but certain. Thus when she 'screwed up' her former student pounced just like everyone expected him to and some waited to see if she would use this moment to launch a simultaneous counterattack.
However they would be fools.
To make it as far as Shishio had before she kicked him out meant he had to have SOME intelligence as well as the ability to smell a trap. He no doubt suspected she would unleash a countermove while moving just far enough out of the way of his attack to avoid serious injury and thus attempt to turn the tables on her. However like most games it often came down to how far ahead a warrior could anticipate each other's thoughts with the one who could see furthest claiming victory in the end.
That and whomever was willing to make the necessary sacrifices to win.
That was why instead of moving to ensure his 'pounce' did as little damage as possible she moved so that she could turn the attack to her advantage. She had fought many a battle wearing this armour and so she knew where it was safe to get hit and where she had to avoid getting hit. Therefore when Shishio's blade came towards her she adjusted her position so that the blade would strike a part of her armour that would allow SOME penetration but WOULD do something more in her favour.
It would allow her with just the right movement to pin the blade between the armour segments immobilizing it for a few seconds.
But fortunately a few seconds was all she needed.
The second her foe registered what had happened, the second he began the effort to free his weapon, she attacked. With one swift and precise slash she cut open his leg from hip to knee causing him to cry out in pain in a way that made her smile. Mobility and proper stance were two other important things a warrior needed but thanks to her attack Shishio would have a problem with both. Releasing her bloody grip on his blade she immediately moved to put some distance between them because like she expected her ex-student reflexively lashed out to get revenge.
"Fucking bitch! You're going to suffer for this!" Shishio growled with the pain of his wound lacing every word, "Get her! The kill shot is MINE!"
Sadly for her no too few of them were willing to follow Shishio's command and soon she found herself in the fight of her life. While none of them proved to be on the same level as Shishio and thus nowhere near her their numbers made up for the difference in skill level. The one saving grace turned out to be that there was no teamwork between the lot of them aside from taking advantage of the openings one provided another. Combined with their sheer number and many of them hesitated in their attacks out of concern that they might accidentally harm an 'ally'.
It all gave her some breathing room but not much.
By the time the last of the brave ones went down leaving only the twitchy ones without a single original thought in their heads. These ones had seen their comrades fall and thus lacked the confidence needed to commit more than tentative attacks before retreating. While was an improvement it wasn't a victory.
"Well I think that's enough for the floor show." Came Shishio's voice in a way she did not like one bit, "Time for the final ACT!"
What would it be? Had he taken Dawn or Yuffie hostage to force her surrender?
She got her answer a second later when out of nowhere darkness swept over the battlefield changing it from crude constructs of stone to something that shouldn't be solid enough to support anyone's weight. A feeling of dread formed within her and it took a giant leap forward when four golden flames popped into being one at a time a short distance to the right of her. Then without warning beads of light curved through the darkness leaving trails of energy behind them that should've faded within moments yet chose to remain. It was only when the ground began to shudder that a stone surface appeared within the confines of the circle produced by the beads of light that her fears were confirmed.
~That IDIOT! Using summoning materia in a confined space like THIS!~ She thought even as she swiftly cast Wall and Shield spells on herself before casting them two more times for the brats who were just within range.
Pillars sprouted up out of the ground next to each golden flame with a frightening edged chandelier lowering out of the darkness above the stone circle. It was only after all this that the core of the summoning appeared in the form of a robed skeleton standing behind a bubbling cauldron that had purple fumes spilling out of it. Words were chanted with a voice that never had been and never would be human in a language that no one on Gaea would know the meanings of but would know all too well of the danger that went with them.
For a moment she worried that she had not put enough protection around herself or the brats but sadly there was no time to do anything. An instant later that which had been simply overflowing gushed out and washed over all caught in the manifestation zone. Her spells flared into existence as they were pitted against the summoning's attack but even with them in place she had to grit her teeth in pain from the damage she was taking. With her armour on and the spells she'd cast she was as safe from the attack as a person could be without certain mastered Materia but not enough to escape unscathed.
The remaining minions that'd been caught in the manifestation zone with her?
They didn't hold up for more than two seconds before their bodies were blown apart like they were made of dry twigs and leaves.
Then with a pulse the zone crashed into pieces revealing the roughly made area that'd been there before the fragments of darkness disintegrating before some unfelt breeze. However her split second of relief at having survived with only minimal damage when her body became assailed with sensations as well as feelings potent enough to make her drop to one knee. Honestly it felt like the morning after that one time she'd tried to out drink Godo…TIME FIVE! She'd almost liken it to some of the poisons she'd been inflicted with over the years but none of them had slammed her this badly.
"Hahahahahahaha! MAN! That Materia takes a lot of mana to fire off but I'd say it's well worth it!" Shishio exclaimed with malicious glee, "Wouldn't you say so Seto? Shinji?"
~Oh fuck!~ She thought even as two sets of footsteps approached from within the escape tunnel.
Her drop in mood proved to be well founded when out of the darkness came two more people she'd hoped never to see again under ANY circumstances.
Seto, son of one of Wutai's top weapon smithing families, who in the past had tried to sabotage the career of the one who'd made her sword only to have the opposite happen thanks to her.
Shinji, an up and coming Wutai bureaucrat with dreams of going all the way to the top, who'd seen marrying her as a way of increasing his prestige.
Needless to say she'd turned him down multiple times with the last time being rather violent.
"Definitely! Seeing that bitch on her knees where she belongs totally makes my day." Shinji declared with a crooked smile that no woman would want directed at her.
"Indeed but I will only be satisfied when I have her sword." Seto said with a professional air to his words, "I haven't decided whether to hang it on my study wall or destroy it though."
"You'll have plenty of time for that later…" Shishio said with a malicious tone, "…when she's dead. So who wants to make the first cut?"
"I think I'll take that honour!" Shinji replied bringing a jagged looking dagger out from within the folds of his clothes, "Seto should probably hit those two with another bolt spell to make sure they stay down. Don't want to risk any last minute heroic nonsense right?"
ZZNN! ZZNN!
"Done." Seto said never losing his composure.
Growling a bit she knew that while bolt wasn't instantly fatal, especially with the defensive spells she'd cast, it didn't tingle when it hit.
"Now, now, BITCH. I've got something a lot more FUN planned for you." Shinji said almost skipping maliciously towards her, "After all I haven't forgotten how you threw my marriage proposal back in my face. I was quite hurt you know so it's only fair that I get my due compensation right?"
As he came to stand before her she tried to raise her blade to drive him off but almost in response to her increase in effort the detrimental side effect of the summoning intensified. Was it linked to an increase in heart rate? The tensing of muscles? Or something else entirely?
Whatever the case her head swam in response making swinging her sword a pipe dream at best.
"Now you cost me quite a bit of reputation with your last rejection. Took almost three years before a suitable lady agreed to become my wife." Shinji said conversationally but with an edge of malice, "So just as you hurt my profession I think I'll hurt yours. Now what should it be…a hand…an arm…OH I KNOW! Heheheheheheheh! In fact it's sure to make you see EYE to EYE with me, dear Tomoe!"
With the nasty blade in one hand he grabbed her by the hair with the other before forcefully immobilizing her head. His intent became clear when he aimed the tip of his foul blade at her eyes before slowly inching it forward. No doubt the shit head thought he was doing good inspiring fear but it only showed everyone what an immature insect he truly was. The problem was that if he managed to carve out one or both of her eyes with his blade she'd effectively be helpless. Sure there were sword masters who'd learned how to fight effectively while blind but it wasn't something that you just managed on the spur of the the moment. It took years of hard work and sometimes even a knack for it before you had something you'd be willing to trust your life with.
With all the resolve and the focus that she'd honed since first taking up the blade she tried to fight her way past the things that hindered her body. All she needed was one strike, one move to end the threat, because like all master sword wielders she knew all too well how to kill someone in one strike.
It soon became a race between her ability to fight past the after effects of the summoning and the slow advance of Shinji's blade.
Then everything turned on its head when staggering presence flooded the room causing even a dimwit like Shinji to take notice. From what she could sense amidst the impairing and bewildering sensations she was currently dealing with it was coming from back within the temple's lower levels. The presence wasn't like anything she'd felt before making her wonder if one of the things that'd been locked away prior to the temple's destruction had gotten loose. She'd never investigated the place all that much since all she'd needed to know was if the level where she hid her property was safe but she had heard rumours.
Rumours of experimentation with mako.
Rumours of attempts to combine the various magics of Materia to create brand new spells.
She'd even heard of one rumour where some crackpot tried to fuse summon materia with his very body.
All of these rumours of course were accompanied by the telling of how imperial soldiers had sealed off the area before a large amount of cargo was sent off in the general direction of the temple. It'd taken a little bit of her free time with a map to confirm it but all the directions that witnesses specified intersected on or close to the temple.
If something locked up here has gotten loose and is capable of giving off a presence like this…then things just went from BAD to WORSE.
"What the…? Who the hell is that?" Shinji asked sounding a little concerned but not quite afraid.
With a pulsing white light tinged with sapphire blue she could tell that whoever it was couldn't be more than ten feet behind her.
"Well I was wondering if he'd show up." Shishio said his confidence as solid as ever, "The scouts said that there was a guy in the group with Sanada and the others so this must be him. You plan on becoming some hero with this grand entrance BOY?"
"Xander?" She asked in shock since her mind couldn't reconcile the kid she knew with the presence she was feeling.
"The quiet type, eh?" Shishio asked like the arrogant ass he was, "Good. 'Cause I've heard enough hero speeches about honour and justice to last me a lifetime. You should've run while you had the chance kid. Pretty much everyone'd written you off for dead so if you'd just've laid low you could've lived."
"You…should…be…RUNNING…" Xander said but with an otherworldly aspect that succeeded in unnerving just about everyone in the room.
"With three to one odds and some pretty powerful Materia why should we?" Shishio asked almost insulted by the suggestion, "Take your own advice kid…while you still can!"
It was then, as Shinji backed up in increasing fear, that Xander stepped into her field of vision confirming beyond truth that he had indeed been the source of the pulsing light. However what snared her attention and kept it was the sheathed katana in his hand because it definitely WASN'T the one she'd given him to fight off their pursuers. Black sheath, gold ribbons hanging from the top and a white hilt there had definitely been quality infused in its creation but it was the power she could feel coming from it that stood out above the rest.
"Should've…taken…your own…advice…" Xander said as his right hand came up to grip the sheath of the foreboding katana.
"Suit yourself. Death it is!" Shishio declared before the familiar sensation of magic filled the air.
Was he planning on using the summoning Materia again? Or would it just be something elemental?
She never got to find out because with a momentary blur Xander vanished only to reappear behind Shishio sliding the exposed katana blade of his back into the sheathe. The kid paused at the last inch but then with an audible ting it finished its journey with the sound catching Shishio's attention. The ringleader of the pursuit force began to turn around…
…before his head fell off his shoulders and the upper half of his torso went in a different direction from everything below the waist.
Blood gushed from the cuts due to the pressure the Shishio's blood was normally under when his body was in one piece but it soon abated. However what did not abate though was the terror that overtook the remaining members of the pursuit group with the most cowardly among them running for the escape tunnel as swiftly as they could. As for Seto and Shinji…
"AAAHHHH!" Shinji cried out in complete terror dropping the blade and running for the tunnel with all the speed his weak little legs were capable of.
"Well it would seem that I won't be claiming Master Sanada's sword today." Seto said doing a remarkable job of mostly maintaining his composure, "Still this wasn't a complete loss. Good day to you all."
With that the stuck up bastard walked, albeit quickly, towards the tunnel soon to vanish from her line of sight.
~Well at least that's over.~ She thought relieved that for the time being they were safe, ~With the right Materia Xander'll be able to fix us up quick enough and then we can get out of here.~
With a spineless fool like Shinji running around it wouldn't be long before everyone knew what'd happened and what Xander could now do. It'd go a long way to cutting down on the number of people hunting them since bottom feeders tended to go for sure things rather than jobs where dying was a very real possibility. If they were lucky the only ones that'd still be after them would be the ones used to life or death jobs and crazy people.
Fortunately she knew most of those types and had already dealt defeat to most of them in the past.
The rest of the trip to the capitol would be smooth sailing more or less.
That was what she thought before she noticed Xander beginning to hunch over with both wrapped around his stomach. The pulsing light that'd been present up until now was changing, growing more rapid as well as getting brighter, making her worry about just what was going on. She'd never witnessed anything like this during the time she'd been training the kid and it made her think it had something to do with the katana in his hand. Was it one of the items that'd been locked away here?
She'd like to think that even the boy wasn't stupid enough to pick something up that'd been locked up for a reason but then kids were stupid until something kicked it out of them.
Then, when the light seemed to reach its peak Xander let out a yell that seemed to exemplify his stubbornness as well as hint at the pressure that he was overcoming. An explosion of light followed, one that almost made her close her eyes, and for one second she saw something that had her wondering just what in Gaea's name she'd gotten herself into.
And then it was gone with Xander dropping to the floor immediately afterwards.
~Looks like I'll have to wait until Dawn or Yuffie come to instead.~ She thought with a grumble before trying to find the least bothersome position to wait out the time until then, ~Fucking terrific!~
Five Hours Later
A Clearing in the Middle of the Forest
Yuffie's POV
"AGAIN!" Master Sanada ordered with no room for leniency.
"Yes ma'm!" She said before executing the technique again with the sword she'd been given.
It had been four hours since she and Dawn had recovered enough from the cowardly attack of their ambushers but that didn't mean that she'd missed everything. Due to chance she'd fallen to the ground in just the right position to witness the entire battle from Sanada's masterful efforts to Xander's ominous arrival.
And the bloodbath that followed.
Seeing all that had forced reality into her mind and painfully made one thing quite clear.
She might be a woman of unparalleled potential with a dazzling future as the White Rose of Wutai but rather than being ready to make her debut…she wasn't even close.
She had thought herself to be a great dragon but in truth was barely years from its egg. She hadn't possessed the courage to reject Master Sanada's order to run and had been caught completely by surprise by the bolt spell. In seeing what'd followed she now held the Red Rose of Wutai in the highest regard for she had displayed skill and physical prowess like nothing she'd seen before. Then, when Xander had arrived just in time to save Master Sanada, she had experienced something that showed her just how fragile her bravado truly was.
She'd felt shock.
She'd felt awe.
And she'd felt no too small amount of fear.
She'd felt the presence flood into the room just like everyone else but when that feeling had been revealed as coming from Xander she couldn't help but gasp while wondering how she'd missed it all this time. It was something that she likened to being in the presence of a powerful predator that only the greatest could face alone but more often than not was wise to face with a well prepared group. She hadn't been able to come even close to convincing herself that she was one of those greatest capable of facing such a predator solo.
When she'd seen him slice that Shishio guy into three pieces in the blink of an eye she'd come to one absolute conclusion: she needed to train and not just piecemeal but rather with everything she had. She refused to be helpless again before the likes of those scumbags and if she wasn't ready to make her legend now she'd start working towards changing that immediately.
After she, Sanada and Dawn had recovered enough they'd picked up Xander's unconscious form before heading down the escape tunnel. None of them had let down their guard regardless of how terrified the goons had been earlier when they'd run off but even after they'd stepped out into open air there'd been no sign of trouble. Then as the hours passed in their journey into the forest towards the capitol the peace had only continued. Only half an hour ago did they choose to take time to stop and rest but she'd chosen to do something that'd both been painful but also necessary: she'd asked Master Sanada to accept her as her newest student.
The woman had looked at her with eyes that could see into a person's very soul but in the end had nodded with a nice lack of hardass commentary.
Ever since then she'd been practicing the sword slash that Dawn had demonstrated never complaining once as she worked to meet the sword master's standards.
"Uuuhhhh…" came a groan from the resting form of Xander causing everyone to turn their gaze his way.
"Looks like the sleeping prince has decided to wake up." Master Sanada said getting up from her place on the ground, "Good! 'Cause I got some questions he better damn well have some answers!"
"For the both of us!" Dawn said not sounding happy with her friend at all.
"Why do I feel like I agreed to be a dragon's chew toy?" Xander groaned as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.
"I don't know but you better tell me where in Gaea you got that katana or I'm gonna make sure you feel a helluva lot worse!" Master Sanada demanded marching over to the guy in order to loom over him with intimidation.
"Katana? What katana?" Xander asked sounding like his mind was still a little loopy.
"The one you've been holding in your left hand with a death grip for the past five hours!" Master Sanada replied after pointing at the weapon in question.
Following the direction the finger was pointing Xander soon saw the sheathed katana that even now was giving her goosebumps. For a moment he looked surprised that it was there but then she saw the light of recognition and understanding enter his eyes. Looking back up at Master Sanada she could tell he was a little antsy about whether or not to say anything.
"Xander!" Dawn said speaking up in a tone no better than Master Sanada's, "What did you do?"
THAT apparently proved to be enough to make him cave in.
"I survived the fall and tried to find my way out but there was something else down there with me." He replied not going very deep into details, "I…I think it used to be human but it definitely wasn't anymore. I think it might've gotten out when the temple was attacked 'cause some of the skeletons I found were killed by blades like the ones it had. I tried to find a way up but when the thing got too close I tried to hide in one of the rooms that still had a decent looking door. It was in there that I found a box with a bunch of paper tags with weird writing on them."
"They look anything like these?" Master Sanada asked pulling two pieces of paper out from beneath her armour.
She recognized them. They looked like some of the things she'd seen the few times her father had taken her to temples dedicated to Leviathan.
"Not exactly but close enough." Xander replied with a nod of his head.
"Ofuda. These ones are meant to cleanse a target of malignant taint but there are other kinds and I bet the ones you saw were meant to seal away a source of great darkness." Master Sanada said with a growl, "I'm guessing that katana of yours was inside the box?"
"Yeah. I've been feeling something odd for a few days now. Something…pulling at me." Xander replied bringing the katana up to look at, "Didn't know what it was until I opened it. But it wasn't in one piece when I found it! It looked like something'd snapped it in half! I wasn't planning on using it but when the creature started pounding on the door I'd locked I knew I needed something. It was either that or try fighting it with fists and I didn't like those odds!"
While she'd have to see the creature to be sure she'd heard about idiots who tried to fight monsters with nothing but their fists.
They never lasted long.
"If the sword was broken then why's it in one piece now? How did you get the power upgrade?" Dawn asked tossing in her inquiries into the mix.
"I don't know how it got fixed…things got really hazy after I got-" Xander replied before catching himself from saying something, "I don't remember a lot. All I know for sure is the creature's dead and I got to you guys in time to save you. Isn't that good enough?"
"Xander! What aren't you telling us? You left something out. I know it!" Dawn growled in warning.
"N-nothing! Honest!" Xander said almost managing to sound believable.
Almost but she'd long since honed the art of lying convincingly so she knew a liar when she saw one.
"You're never going to make anyone believe lies answering like that." She said with mild contempt.
This caused both Dawn and Master Sanada to look at Xander even crosser then before.
"I…may have…gotten stabbed by hilt piece of the katana…" he said with the utmost reluctance, "I tried to use it to stab the creature in the eye but it didn't go all the way through to the brain. It rang my bell and before I got my second wind the thing decided to show me how to stab somebody right."
Stabbed! She quickly looked him over and while she could see bloodstains she couldn't quite find a hole that looked like a sword had been shoved through it.
"Where!?" Dawn demanded before roughly looking for the wound herself.
"It doesn't matter!" Xander declared defiantly getting to his feet, "I'm fine, you're all fine, so let's focus on what's important. Getting to the capitol before the idiot brigade decide to take another crack at us!"
For a moment it looked like Dawn would push things further but Sanada cut her off by turning and walking away.
"He's right. The last group might've been scared off and if they spread the word they might convince others to give up but they won't get all of them." Master Sanada said without looking back at them, "I'm in no shape for another fight and neither are any of you. Our best option is to haul ass to the capitol as fast as we can. No sleeping, no eating and only thirty minute rests! If we get cornered again…we won't be making it out."
This was enough to get both her and Dawn to keep what further questions they had to themselves.
Given all that'd happened their location was now out and if one group of thugs could get the drop on them then others could too especially if they stayed in one place too long. If Master Sanada was telling them they had to run all the way to the capitol tonight then that meant she didn't know of any other places they could hole up that actually stood a chance of working out. With no place to hide and bad guys looking for them their only hope was the capitol.
"Then let's get going!" She said following Master Sanada's lead, "I've got a big comfy bed with my name on it!"
And if they actually managed to make it all the way to the capitol tonight she was definitely going to need it.
The Wutai Capitol City
Imperial Palace, Throne Room
Emperor Godo's POV
"And you're sure of these reports?" He asked putting down the last one on the table before him.
"I am your highness. I have already dispatched squads to other locations with orders to defend them." The General of the Interior replied with a concerned frown on his face, "While it would be nice if they encountered nothing if they did then at least we might learn the appearance of our enemy."
"A foe capable of killing more than one sword master and destroying one of our smaller forts will not be satisfied with that alone." He said closing his eyes before sending a prayer for the fallen to Leviathan, "We'll learn their names soon enough and when we do they will learn the price for taking Wutai lives."
"I'll see to it personally your highness." The General of the Interior declared in a way that made it impossible to doubt him.
He had known the General since his ascent to the throne after the passing of his father and he had no reason to doubt that once a target was provided the man would run them to ground in no time at all. However there was one concern, one worry, that would not permit him peace until it was resolved.
"General…dispatch an elite fire team to Master Sanada's home. Choose those who specialize in speed and stealth." He said almost deciding not to make such a personal request, "Bring her home."
"Of course your highness! As the heir to the throne her wellbeing is a top priority." The General said saluting him with all due fervour, "I know just the men for the job. They'll be on their way within an hour and will have Princess Yuffie back in the capitol before nightfall!"
While he was of the opinion that the man often took his dedication to his job too seriously in this case he would take it if it would see his daughter home safely.
He was about to dismiss the man when the doors to the throne room were pushed open to admit one of the messengers stationed at the North rushed in.
"Your highness! Master Sanada, Princess Yuffie and two others have arrived at the eastern gate!" The messenger declared after kneeling before him eyes fixed on the ground.
"WHAT!?" He and the General exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
A deep pit of dread exploded in his stomach as a possibility entered his mind and without waiting he snatched up his katana from its place beside his throne and bolted for the open door.
One of the the things that'd had him worried about the attacks reported was that they'd all occurred within hours of each other implying that the attacks could be connected. A coordinated attack implied a larger plan and as both a father as well as the emperor of Wutai he knew the tactical value of either killing or capturing Yuffie. Properly utilized either possibility could be used to devastating effect on all of Wutai and it would deal him a psychological blow that could give the unknown enemies an advantage not easily taken away. It had been because of this that he'd asked the General to send men to retrieve her but if she and Master Sanada were already here then it could only mean that an attack had already happened.
One severe enough to force a sword master of Wutai to abandon her home and travel here with no small amount of haste.
Ignoring all who tried to stop him or slow him down he left the palace and navigated his way to the eastern gate determined to see his darling daughter. Absent from the battlefield for many a year he may be but he'd never once skipped the training his mentor had put him through all those years ago and he'd keep it up until his body literally refused to obey him. Thus it took him little time to traverse the distance and when he arrived he saw all the proof he needed in order to grasp the seriousness of the situation.
Master Sanada, once more clad in the armour of the bloody Red Rose of Wutai with signs that she'd recently seen combat.
Xander, clad in armour that his teacher had likely provided but with dried blood visible on his clothes and a katana in hand that had him unsettled.
Dawn, likewise clad in armour looking worn like only one who'd experienced true battle could feel.
However it was the last of the party that had him stunned and for good reason.
The hair and the face unmistakably belonged to her daughter but before him was not a girl on the cusp of adolescence but rather one almost halfway through it. Clad in a mix of standard Wutai armour and a skintight bodysuit similar to Dawn's he knew something significant had occurred and so he looked to Master Sanada for answers.
"I will answer all of your questions to the best of my ability Godo but this isn't a conversation you have out in the open." Master Sanada said quickly glancing at the surrounding area, "Can we please go to the palace?"
While it had been awhile since he had last seen Tomoe that did not mean he did not understand what it was she was silently conveying. Without saying anything obvious she had just told him that not everyone in the capitol city could be trusted and those that could not be trusted did not know what she knew. If this was indeed the case then he would be a fool to insist that she explain everything where unfriendly ears could overhear them.
"Very well." He said turning to the General who'd been quick to follow him from the Palace, "Dispatch patrol teams to the surrounding area around the capitol. If Master Sanada's group has been followed I want their pursuers found and captured. Alive if possible. Dead if necessary."
"It will be done your highness." The general responded with a focused and determined look on his face.
While smart pursuers would break off any pursuit and hide this close to the capitol he couldn't discount the possibility that they might continue their efforts albeit with greater care and covertness. If the pursuers were indeed connected to the incidents in the reports and even the attempted kidnapping of his daughter then he could not allow those people free reign over his lands any longer. He would need to deploy his military to all major routes, intersections of roadways and perhaps known tactical chokepoints. If he could cut off their means of traversing Wutai or at least hinder it to a high enough degree any further losses could be kept to a minimum.
It only took ten minutes but once they arrived in the throne room he ordered all doors into the room shut, barred and the entire palace guard including the Crescent Unit placed on alert. While he did not want to think that a threat to Wutai had managed to successfully infiltrate the palace itself there was no harm in acting as though it had. It would be good practice for the palace guard should the future go down the road he thought it might.
"Now tell me what you know Tomoe." He said focusing entirely on her and her party, "Why have you returned to the capitol?"
The woman was no fool. She had no doubt noticed his actions and drawn the logical conclusion that something was afoot that had placed him on guard. Hopefully what she had to tell him would fill in the blanks granting him a clearer idea of what was happening as well as what he needed to do.
"We have returned because my home was no longer safe." Tomoe replied with the eyes of a warrior, "We were attacked by agents of Shinra known as the Turks."
"Shinra!? Are you certain?" He asked not having considered the foreign organization as a high probability possibility up until now.
"There can be no doubt. Their weapons, clothes and skills were not of Wutai." She replied not flinching or hesitating in the least, "I have also been using my father's network of agents on my own initiative in an effort to find out who was behind the kidnapping attempt on your daughter. The reports I received back via crow messenger are troubling."
This added weight to Tomoe's words since both during his father's reign as well as his own he'd learned well the effectiveness of the Sanada clan's agent network. If this collection of informants had indeed determined that Shinra was behind the kidnapping attempt and this most recent attack was carried out by their agents 'troubling' would be putting it mildly. He had been aware throughout the negotiations with the the foreigners that they were not the sort who took denial very well. However he had not thought that they would resort to such methods as this if for no other reason than because of the costs involved.
Tomoe then removed the pieces of paper containing the reports of her agents from beneath her armour and while they had been lightly spattered with blood there was still plenty that could be seen as well as read. The more he read and saw the more he felt the darkness growing on the metaphorical horizon until there could be no doubt what the future held for Wutai.
"They mean to declare war on us." He said with the grimness, "And if your reports are indeed the truth they intended to do so almost from the moment negotiations began."
"I believe that they had hoped that negotiations would succeed and had put together a small force intended to secure the areas around their mako reactors." She said sounding sure of her suspicions, "It would be disguised as an effort to ensure the security of the facilities when in fact they would be strongholds should Wutai become inhospitable towards them. Only when it became clear to them that their negotiations with you would fail did they begin building their military force up in earnest."
Yes…yes…he could see how this could be the thinking of those vipers and it only made him even more wary of what they would do next.
They had to know that with Tomoe succeeding in reaching him that their culpability would be exposed making any further covert actions problematic at best.
"How long do you think we have?" He asked given that the sword master was the most informed among them at the moment.
"Their involvement in the kidnapping and the attack on my home may have been exposed but they will not be hasty to take action." She replied with confidence towards his question, "According to the last report I received Shinra is still in the middle of building their army and constructing what they will need to attack Wutai. While some things could be accelerated some cannot. I believe they will officially deny responsibility for their actions choosing to blame them on rogue elements both native to Wutai as well as within their own ranks."
"Then we have until they feel confident enough that our eyes are no longer on them before they strike again with open war to follow soon after." He said considering the actions he would need to take before then.
"Perhaps not. I've confirmed that they've been able to gain the aid of those who bear a grudge towards me. Shishio is dead but Seto and Kenji are still at large." She said with warning, "If they've gained the aid of my enemies they might have also gained the cooperation of yours Godo. Any enemy of your family or of you personally, anyone who'd stand to benefit from helping Shinra succeed, could very well be on the move even now."
He knew the names of the men she mentioned and while he cared little for their grudges against Tomoe if Shinra was willing to form alliances with those willing to betray Wutai the situation was indeed serious. Even if it was true that Shinra forces would not be arriving on his nation's shores anytime soon the corporation could still hurt his people through the traitors among them. Sabotage, assassinations, propaganda and other methods could be used to undermine his efforts to prepare Wutai for the war. If the information on Tomoe's documents were accurate the entire nation would need to be united as one to even stand a chance never mind succeed in pushing the enemy from their shores.
~Looks like it's time to crack open the scrolls.~ He thought recalling one of the rules his father had taught him when he'd been Yuffie's age.
Preach trust but ensure that those who would betray it did not survive to do it a second time.
It had been a practice of his family almost from the founding of their rule to employ their 'shadows' to collect information and evidence of shady dealings tied to those whose loyalty was suspect. All of it would be sealed away and hidden with the location of either the knowledge or the evidence known only to the reigning emperor of Wutai. Even the 'shadows' who had gathered both were not privy to where their acquisitions had been hidden.
With the scrolls he would be able to put pressure on the potential traitors not bold enough to push their luck and for those who were truly a threat it would ruin them. All that they had he would be entitled to seize possession of or destroy. As for the people themselves it would depend on their crimes. If they were no more than thieves and liars he would likely leave their fate to the people they had wronged. If their crimes were truly horrible and beyond forgiveness then death or something worse would be their punishment.
He might wish to be remembered as an honourable ruler but that didn't mean his reign would be free from darkness.
Difficult choices went hand in hand with the throne.
Even ones that made sleeping difficult for quite awhile.
Wutai Capitol City
The Royal Palace, Guest Chambers
Dawn's POV
"That bath was SINFULLY good!" She said emerging from the bathroom attached to the guest chambers, "After running all the way here and everything I finally feel clean. You interested in taking a bath?"
"Not really. For me I've got a date with a bed and getting big pile of Zs." Xander replied from the chair he'd been sitting down in before entering the bathroom, "Our bodies might be superhuman but running all the way here takes a lot out of a guy."
"Not a bad idea. Still it's nice to know where our limits are." She said coming to believe that she could do with a nap herself.
But first there was something that needed to be discussed and she'd waited long enough.
"So…now that we're alone…care to give me the truth about that new sword of yours?" She asked fixing him with a determined stare, "I didn't see everything but I felt your grand entrance and Master Sanada's been giving you the hairy eyeball the entire trip back."
She could tell that he was uneasy about the subject but with what she'd felt and to a degree still felt she had to know. The katana did't quite feel like the sort of demony things the Scoobies used to fight but at the same time there was no way it could be described as a weapon forged in the light. There was also no mistaking that it possessed quite a bit of power…
…power that had grown and was still growing since they left the escape tunnel of the destroyed temple
"I didn't leave a lot out. I tried hiding from a monster, it found me, I grabbed the only weapon in the room and I tried to kill it by stabbing it in the eye hoping to get through to the brain." He said sounding like he didn't think it was a smart idea but was going to give the truth anyways, "Too bad it had a really tough skull so it didn't get to its destination. Got knocked across the room when I didn't back away quick enough and before I got my brain workin' right I…kinda got stabbed in the heart by my own broken katana."
"That explains all the blood on your clothes. Keep it coming." She said filling in a few blanks in her mind.
"I think…I think I'm kinda like a vamp as far as the heart's the kill shot." He said looking like he was trying to scrape together every memory or memory fragment he could find, "I remember getting weak…and closing my eyes…but then…SOMETHING happened. It's almost too weird to put into words! I feel like I was falling but then something or someone came along to give me a smack upside the head. Felt pretty ticked that I was just giving in but then it reminded me that I had a job to do and dying wasn't an option. Then…then it felt like merged…bonded…I dunno…"
So shocked was she at the admission that Xander, her friend and future boyfriend, had almost died she almost missed the rest. Only when her mind reminded her that he was alive and in front of her was she able to focus on the other facts. Fact one, he could take fatal shots to the head and survive but heart shots were likely to be fatal. She wasn't sure if this defiance of death was a one time deal or if from now on Xander could get impaled in the heart all he wanted without getting dead but she wasn't going to find out the hard way. NOT HAPPENING!
~Definitely going to see about getting him some quality chest armour.~ She thought making that one of her priorities for the immediate future, ~Doesn't matter how heavy it turns out to be 'cause Xander can handle it.~
Fact two, during Xander's near death experience an entity knocked some sense into him which she was grateful for. If she'd had some sort of telepathic connection with him she would've done the same.
The third and final fact though was what had her a little worried even if there was some pluses that'd help give Xander an edge from here on out. The idea of that same entity merging or binding itself to Xander's soul did not fill her with the warm fuzzies. Everything that she'd ever read or heard Giles talk about regarding two entities shacking up in the same body told her that it was often the stronger of the two that wound up securing the driver's seat. Now she knew that Xander could be more bullheaded and stubborn than almost anyone else when motivated but neither of them knew all that much about the other entity.
Had it been inside Xander all along or had it entered his body through the broken katana?
Was it a gift of sorts from the deities or was it something weird like the spirit of the katana itself?
More than that what was it's D'n'D alignment? Lawful good? Lawful neutral? Or would it turn out to be chaotic evil?
She didn't know or how much influence this other entity could exert over Xander. Sure he seemed fine now but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Some evil things liked to settle into their new place before taking the wheel. She'd have to keep an eye on him, a CLOSE eye, until she got a definite yes or a no on that. Maybe with some help they could slap an extra two or three collars on this other entity so that it wouldn't be able to seize control unless Xander literally laid down and let it happen.
Not something that Xander would ever let happen save in one of those 'well I have tried everything else so why not' moments when trying to save the day.
"So are we gonna have to worry about you going all Jekyll and Hyde or what?" She asked casually even if it really was a concern.
"No…no I don't think so." He replied after a moment's consideration, "It feels like…we've got an understanding. Me and the other guy. As long as I don't screw up too bad I don't think he'll do anything."
A little reassuring but not completely since there was no defined criteria about what 'screw up too bad' was for the other entity. If the being was evil then it could deliberately move the line in the sand around wherever it wanted and still claim that it was abiding by the 'understanding'.
Still the fact that it wasn't giving off vibes that worried Xander meant that it was laying low for now or was too weak to try anything aggressive.
It meant that she had time to figure out a way to block it.
"Let's hope it stays that way." She said sitting down in a chair directly opposite Xander's chair, "Now do us all a favour and take a bath yourself. Blood, even dried blood, stinks."
"Trust me…I KNOW." He said getting out of his chair, "Heightened sense of smell."
Heading for the adjoining bathroom to the guest chambers he stopped just in front of the door.
"No stealing my clothes while I'm in there." He said before proceeding into the bathroom.
~Damn!~ She thought as her idea of making his clothes go missing so he'd have to use a robe or just a towel was smashed before it could even be put to use.
Fortunately for her teenagers could come up with new plans pretty quickly with the right motivation and she had the BEST motivation.