Journey of the Samurai, a ronin warriors fanfic

Rating: G

Author's Notes: This is based on the Prologue from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (the actual prologue introduces all the characters, and sets up a plot for them to have a story-telling contest to pass the time while they travel); it was for an AP English paper I wrote a few years back. I also had to twist some personalities so I could make this a microcosm, as the assignment called for--the main change was Seiji's shyness to Sage's stuck-up/vainness.

Thanks for reading, and may the Force be with you. :o)

* * * * *

A giant gate meets a small, solemn group,
Its twin doors swinging open with a swoop.
The members of the all-male group of nine,
Each call their yoroi up and stand behind
Their leader, Ryo, yoroi fire and red,
Who puts his fears behind and stares ahead
Into the void. He lifts his chin to dare
Evilness to think to challenge them there.
He likes to fight and feel the yoroi's power
Surge through him during each and ev'ry hour
Of battle that he sees. He shows no fear
Though inside he knows danger's always near.
But the most dangerous power he possesses
Is temper, burning, destroying all distresses.
Behind him stands Touma, the smartest of all,
Whose yoroi's dark blue, with air elemental.
Silently and coldly he does regard
The area before them, each hazard
Included. Youngest he is of the men
But more mature and more serious than
The rest. Beside him stands older Seiji,
Running a hand through his mop of thickly
Puffed hair. The boy wears yoroi green, that of
Light, which he must need to take care of
Them. His eyes and hair are always main
Obsessions in his life; yes, he is vain.
Behind him patiently waits oldest Shin,
The peacetime leader of the warriors, in
His yoroi of light blue, and water as
His element. He calmly waits to pass.
If arguments ensue he does step in
And mediates every confrontation.
He's charming, the epitome of the word,
And pleasant; you'd be certainly called absurd
To not like Shin. Exhaling a deep sigh,
He prays that no conflicts will erupt by
Their presence; he knows they're not wanted there.
He prays that they will be safe everywhere.
His best friend stands by him; his name is Shuu.
He always needs some activity to do.
The merest mention of food sets him off.
Food is his love; he constantly does prof-
Fess his need and want for something to eat.
Shuu can be hasty and not very neat,
Especially if food or battle wait
For him. He asks for food when he just ate
And charges headlong into battles, no
Worries in his mind; he may shout, "Let's go!"
Just as he does now; impatient's his state,
Fidgeting and staring at the Gate
Before them. His yoroi is orange and
Puts power of the earth in his own hand.
Uncertainly standing some length behind
Is Sh'ten, quietly, in yoroi once-unkind
Of many shades, wielding power to kill
People during his darker time; evil
Has stopped flowing through his veins. When he was
Younger he wanted to rule the world plus
The Heavens. His ego turned him to dark
But no more; he has undergone a stark
Recovery from bad to good and from
Overconfident to a little un-
Certain of himself. By him stands Anubis,
With brown and black yoroi; he had led darkness
During dark times. Now he turns the dark on
Evil, making it flee where it was spawned.
Seiji, warrior of light, was his worst
Enemy; that is all behind him. First
In his mind now is the tricky journey
Awaiting them all. Though he does not possess
Much genius, he knows dangerousness
Of darkness lies before them, and to some
Extent he fears the mandatory come-
Back to his old home of evil and blight.
Rajura, guardian of tricky sleight
Of hand and deception, stands next in line.
His yoroi, pink and brown, protects his spine
From sneaky attacks on him. Shuu had been
His arch-enemy when he would go spin
Spiderlike web-traps for his enemies
To confuse and make them fight as they please
Among themselves. Now he calms troubled minds
With his mind-powers. He no longer blinds
Good from truth. His mind is now calm and pure
And he aids the side of good with newer
Resolve than ever before. Similar
To Anubis, he wishes that he were
Not on this trip; he has an obligation
To them all and himself in his station,
His position in the group. Finally,
The poisonous Naaza stands far and free
Of the others; that is fine with them, for
They are not sure which side he honors more.
He is a bit mad; his eyes have that vacant
Feel to them, and he has not really bent
In one direction. His yoroi is green
And red; he commanded poison not seen
Before on the face of our planet. Some
Seems to have entered his brain: ruins. From
The looks of it, he has no real clue where
He is and what he is doing there.
His evil poison used to blind and maim;
If he were so inclined, he'd keep up the same
Clean bill of health so many prosper from
In the wounded and sick. Now, no one com-
Prehends his mind or even tries to; he
Is too far-gone to attempt successfully.
At the front of the group, Ryo stands straight
And motions for them to follow his gait
Through the waiting doors and whatever may
Lay lurking in wait for them when they
Cross on into the evil Dynasty.
One by one, they go: Ryo, Touma, Seiji,
Shin, Shuu, Sh'ten, Anubis, Rajura, and
Finally Naaza. When they crossed, the band
Turned at the sound of the doors swinging closed,
Crashing with many resounding echoes.
"Samurai Troopers!" a female voice called
And made them turn around, seeing a walled
Tunnel before them and a young lady
Waiting, in traditional robes so dainty.
"Kayura?" all exclaimed at once, surprised
At seeing her there, right before their eyes.
She smiled. "Yes, it is I. Thanks to the
Warlords-Rajura, and Shutendouji,
And Anubis and Naaza as well, for
Calling you all to the Dynasty Door.
The time has come for a sojourn into
The Dynasty, to pay our respects to
Those that fell during the horrible war
So long ago that you all fought in, for
The good side. I am to be your guide
Through the Dynasty. Please enjoy the ride."
She motioned to the tunnel behind her.
It looked endless, stretching on forever.
"We have a long journey ahead of us,
So we had better start. Come this way--just
Don't look back or you will be banished from
This safe passage to the Palace. Come, come,
Let's get started." She started to walk and
Fell into step did the others of the band
Behind her and down the long passageway.
"Do we have to walk the whole way?" in dismay
Shuu moaned. "I need food to help put away
The stomach ache I'm having." Everyone
Rolled their eyes, hoping he'd stop whining on.
"Shuu, you just ate," Shin scolded with a grin.
"Right before we left you had-what, nine, ten
Hamburgers? That should hold you over for
Quite some time." "Please don't complain; I abhor
Whiners," added Seiji. "All that hot air
You are letting out might mess up my hair."
"Come on, stop bickering," Ryo cut in.
"Can't we do something to make the time thin?"
"Does anybody have a chess board? We
Could play a game," Touma said with some glee.
"I'd rather not, thanks," Anubis replied,
Annoyed. "Wait, I have an idea," tried
Kayura. "We could all tell stories on
Our past. The time would not seem quite so long
That way." Generally affirmation
Ensued, but from Naaza, degradation
Was heard. "That's stupid," he rudely bemoaned.
"Let's play a game with poisons-or go home."
Everybody tuned him out. "We can have
A contest," Sh'ten suggested. "But who will
Be the judge of our not run-of-the-mill
Stories? And what will be the winner's reward?
More than air is what he is looking for."
After a moment of deliberating
Kayura raised her hand. "I'll be the judge,
And you can all tell your stories. Oh, fudge,
What to give out as a prize?" She then grinned,
And reached inside her bag, all peeking in.
Yet still were they astonished at the sight
Of gold in a sphere perfect; all the light
Had seemed to mingle in that one place.
The gold reflected warmly off her face.
"Yoroi sphere this was carefully made as;
The winner's kanji here engraved shall pass.
Who wants to start the contest off? Or rather,
Whoever wants; I won't choose -doesn't matter
To me." Silence ensued as all the group
Members thought about what to tell the troupe.
Unexpectedly, Naaza volunteered.
"I'll tell a story first," he said. "Hear, hear!"
The others exchanged surprised, scared glances,
Not wanting to hear the loon's advances
In his field of poison. Kayura said,
"I'm all ears. When you're ready, go ahead."