Test of the Coin
"Another Match for me!" Kento said appraising his win.
"C'mon! Who's next? I need my bread for today!" Kento added smugly.
"Go home we're broke." One of the men said from the group.
"You's are giving up on me already!"
"Come back tomorrow." Another added.
Kento got up to leave and said. "You's better believe it." and left for home.
Wrestling and gambling had become a habit. After all it was two things he did well. He gotten so caught up in it that his past seemed more like a dream than reality. Those he loved like family also just seemed like a dream to him now. He more than less drifted about and found an adventure here and there when he could. It was, this life seemed to suit him. So he wore it proudly and like always… he did his best. He lost contact a while back, almost being the first to do so. He had just about everything he could want. He only wanted the basics in life. Food, clothing, shelter… friends. Friends, he could do with out. They'd come and go like the clouds in the sky. Nothing seemed permanent. There was a time he thought: that there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for a friend. He would tear down any thing that would make a friend unhappy. Sure, just like the clouds in the sky. Soft, wonderful and flowing… they just kept going whether he was ready or not. Just keep going until you couldn't see one in sight. He felt the truth was they just had different ideas of the future. That it was inevitable they'd break up. This was better than watching them leaving. Get a good head start and things will be fine. So, just don't look up, no matter how tempting and comforting it screamed to be. I'm deaf, call all you want if you want to leave.
"Leaving so soon. I thought you liked a challenge."
"Why? You think you got something?"
"Sure, HardRock… indeed I do. I bet you're no longer worthy of your armor." Again tossing the coin to the wearer before there was any kind of response or question.
"I challenge you. I cast in front of you a coin.
A coin of: protection and love, strength, past, future and death.
Your life lays with in this coin. I challenge you. Strength can serve as Protection from love. Love can serve as strength for protection. Can you tell me this is true? I challenge you. Can you tell me of the unfairness of each? Your strength is the weakness. I challenge you toss this coin. Your sorrow is from your weakness. Can you tell me that your protection of your friends is out of love? If so… do you have the strength of sorrow: to protect them back? I challenge you. Toss this coin and then tell me. Tell me the unfairness of your weakness, is what protects them. Toss this coin to tell me why. I challenge you! Your life lays with in this coin."
"What is this… a joke. The unfairness is this damn coin. It's true… my real strength is my weakness.
I love them, therefore… I shall protect. Got that." Kento said flipping the coin back to him with a grin.
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The test of the coin: has been passed by all five. The last test… I'm done casting my tests. Each has faced their own coin. May it have been what they feared or what they were. It was time to face up to them-selves. Time to accept the fate of it. As long as they faced up to it… fate will be the way it should be. The horrors and daemons they hid with in they now realize. Time and Fate… will bring them back into being one once more. The two-sided coin… was what they had to own up to and realize who they were, who they needed and accept their fate. If they didn't… they were beaten.
Now I ask you… are you ready to toss your two-sided coin?
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Disclaimer: I own nada of the Ronin Warriors.