Shiro Den: Gaiden One
Chapter Five: The Mysterious Valley
Disclaimer: ClareBear owns story and new characters. Yuu Watase own original story and original characters. Enough said.
Author's Note: Has anyone figured out what drove Shiro to fight in the first place? I hope you're paying attention. By the way, the Shiro will sometimes be referred to as Hakurou in the text. Try not to get confused. If you haven't figured out why he chose that name yet, you'll find out later. It's time to introduce the villain of this story. I'm not very good at making complex villains like Yuu Watase. I'll try my best…but I'll never have a Nakago of my own…*sniffle*. Maybe, next gaiden.
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Deng Jilun was at the border of Kutou. She had returned recently from the capital city of Konan and was awaiting new orders from her leader, Shi Mengxin. He was gathering an army to take down the current Emperor of Konan. Jilun was recruited out of a temple that was close to the border of Sailo in the west. She didn't really care for the weather near Kutou. It was always foggy. Jilun wasn't particularly happy to be back at camp. She had miserably failed her last mission in Eiyou. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to answer to Shi Mengxin. His glare alone was enough to put ice into her veins.
"The Leader will see you now," said a solider as he emerged from Shi Mengxin's tent. Jilun took a deep breath in step inside. She had prepared her mind for the worse and she had survived a lot. She was an orphan who was saved from becoming a prosecute on the street of her town because a priest at a temple offered for her to stay there as long as she chose to become a student. Jilun came in and kneeled in a low bow before Mengxin who had his back turned as he looked at a large map of Konan. She was trying to prepare her mind for whatever painful punishment Mengxin had in mind.
"You failed your mission, didn't you, Deng Jilun?" asked Mengxin without so much as turning around.
"Yes, sire. I did. And I am prepared for whatever the punishment is for my failure," said Jilun without lifting her head.
"Rise. There is no need for you to be punished. I don't want to hear the details of your failure," said Mengxin as he finally turned around. Jilun got up from her low bow and she had a puzzled look on her face. She had seen Mengxin torture men for failing to make it through the training drills. "There is no need for you to look so frighten, Deng Jilun," said Mengxin as he poured himself some sake and drink it.
"What can I do to make up for my failure, Sire?" asked Jilun. The fear left her again.
"I need you in good health for the task I have planned for you. The Emperor of Konan is a Suzaku seishi like the last one. All the seishi survived the last summoning of Suzaku. Most of them are loyal and work together. It's not so surprising that you would fail your mission in Eiyou. However, there is a glimmer of hope for us. If we can get one of the Suzaku Seven to join us, then we will vanquish the Emperor and take over Konan," said Mengxin.
"You said most. Who is the one we might be able to sway?" asked Jilun. Mengxin smiled at her. He like her ability to asset situations quickly with her nimble mind.
"The seventh Suzaku seishi. You may remember him. His name is Shiro. It seems that he was at the last summoning," said Mengxin as he took another sip of his sake.
"Yes. I knew back when he was just Wei Kuairong," said Jilun.
"I know. That's why I need you looking your best, Deng Jilun. I need you to get him for me," said Mengxin. She knew what he meant by that. However, she had no experience in such matters. She also knew that Shiro wouldn't go with her like that. She would have to convince him to join her as a friend.
"Does recon know where he is?" asked Jilun.
"Of course. It took some time, almost three months to find him, but his in a valley that is hidden between Mt. Leikaku and the capital. Surprisingly close to either place," said Mengxin.
"Let me guess, he's settled down there for certain," said Jilun.
"He's the village healer of the area. He rules the area as a lord. That is not a surprise after all it is his rank," said Mengxin as he finished off his wine. He was referring to the fact that all seishi were given the position of lordship.
"I'll get him to join us, Sire," said Jilun as she got up and bowed before him.
"Good," said Mengxin. Jilun was now walking out of the tent, but Mengxin added, "Don't fail this time, Deng Jilun. Don't disappoint me. I don't take well to disappointment."
"I won't, Sire," said Jilun as she opened the tent flap and left.
'What fools do for love,' thought Mengxin as he poured himself some more sake.
* * *
"I'll be gone for a few days to some of the outer farms to check on the families there," said Hakurou. He was about ready to mount his horse and leave for the journey that would take him outside of the valley for a few days. All the servants were lined up to see their Lord depart for his journey.
"We'll be waiting for you, Oniichan. Be careful and come back safe," said Pei Pei with a smile.
"I will. By the way, Pei Pei, make sure you keep up with your studies when I'm gone. I'll be testing you when I come back," said Hakurou as he hugged her shoulders. He had a soft smile on his face.
"Oniichan!" whined Pei Pei. The servants tried not to laugh at the situation.
"Kenren, take care of everything, all right?" said Hakurou to the manager of the estate. He would be in charge while Hakurou was away.
"Yes, Milord," said Kenren as he did a slight bow to Hakurou. Hakurou nodded and mounted his horse. All the other servants bowed, and Hakurou did a slight bow. He tapped his heals on the side of the horse and took off.
"Bye, Bye Oniichan!" called Pei Pei as she waved her brother off.
Hakurou waved and rode off into the distance.
* * *
"Damn him to hell," mumbled Hono'o as she got up from the ground. She had stopped for awhile. It had been three days since she left Kouji's house in Mt. Leikaku. She wasn't having much luck finding Shiro. His trail was cold to begin with, and it was now getting to be really frustrating. "I swear when I find him I'll kick his ass," mumbled Hono'o even more. She sighed and prepared herself to mount her horse again. Her body was just exhausted and sore from the long rides and the endless searching. She imagined that Shiro was living it up at some fight competition while she was searching all over Konan for him. It wasn't very fair. Hono'o was tired and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Hono'o had asked around at fight competitions, training areas, and temples. Either no one had heard of him or they haven't seen Shiro lately. One of the priest said that Shiro was a great warrior, and that it was ashamed that he hadn't demonstrated his skills in a while. Hono'o, who was used to dealing with guys because of her brothers, was having a hard time with the men who were flirting her. Hono'o would show her kanji or burned them, and it would send them running.
Hono'o was just about to give up altogether, but she was no quitter. She was going to find Shiro if it was the last thing that she was ever going to do.
* * *
Jilun was arriving at the valley. It was a beautiful, hidden paradise. It reminded her of her days at the temple training. She had been living there for two years when Shiro had first appeared. At first, she didn't know what to make of the boy who was just fourteen years old, and on a self imposed training mission. All she knew was that she felt things about him that she had never felt before for anyone…
~*~Flashback~*~
Shiro had finally arrived at his next training and was eager to begin his new training. The priest of the temple introduced him to the best student of the temple, Deng Jilun. Jilun was a beautiful girl who was slender in form. She wasn't very tall, but average in height. Her eyes were a smoky gray and her hair was a dark wavy brown that she had kept pinned up. Jilun didn't understand why the priest would just train someone off the street who they didn't even know. Shiro wasn't very tall yet. He was about an inch or two shorter than Jilun even though they were the same age.
By the third week of his six week stay, he defeat her without any problem. Being the best student at the temple, the defeat was a blemish on her perfect record. She wasn't about to be beaten by a boy.
"It's not fair!" shouted Jilun as she glared at Shiro who had a cocky look on his face.
"You're right, Jilun-san. It's not fair because this boy is a Suzaku seishi," said the old priest. Jilun's jaw dropped she turned looked at Shiro who had lifted up the right side of his shirt and glowed his kanji. Jilun clamped her mouth shut. 'This boy's a Suzaku seishi. I don't believe it!' thought Jilun as she glared at him.
"It is our duty as one of the temples of Konan to train him," said the priest.
"See ya later," said Shiro as he left the room with the priest who said that he wanted to talk to Shiro privately. Jilun swore to herself that she would watch him and find his weakness somehow. She was going to defeat in the next match. So, for the next few days Jilun was watching Shiro constantly and obsessively. Shiro knew that she was watching, and would wave to her whenever he caught her. Jilun would blush and feel a sudden shyness. 'What's wrong with me?' thought Jilun. She began to watch him more closely not because she wanted to.
"Have you learned anything, Jilun?" asked Shiro one day. He was doing some mediation exercises. He opened one of his green-hazel eyes, and then the other. Jilun blushed slightly because he was smiling at her.
"You heard about me, didn't you?" asked Jilun.
"Yes. You're like my father. His parents died, and he was taken into group a lot like this. Well, not exactly like this," said Shiro. He was thinking about his father and the Mt. Leikaku bandits again. It wasn't very rare, but it made him homesick. But, he couldn't quit his training mission. He had to be a strong warrior. He just had to because that was the only way he thought he could get what he wanted.
"Why are you here, Shiro-kun?" asked Jilun. She knew that his name was Wei Kuairong, but she also knew that it was customary to address seishi by their names. Since all the constellations were used, the new seishi were referred to by their kanji instead.
"Um…" stammered Shiro as he felt his ears go red suddenly.
"Well?" asked Jilun again. 'He looks so cute like that. His ears are red. I wonder why?' she thought.
"It's none of your business. I'm a seishi that's a good enough reason," said Shiro defensively as if he was embarrassed about something. Jilun had a hurt look on her face as Shiro stalked off to go and get some sleep. 'I wonder why I feel so hurt by him. Why? Why? Why? I don't understand him. I don't understand why I feel like this. What's wrong with me? Every time I see him I feel happy. Why? Why? Could it be? I. Love. Him. Is that it?' thought Jilun in a state of utter confusion. She thought about the way her heart pounded whenever he was close by and the way her skin tingled whenever his scraped hers. Jilun thought about it throughout the day and night. She realized that she was in love with Shiro. The announcement of Shiro's impending departure was announced a week ahead. Jilun panicked because she didn't have a chance to tell him how she felt. Or would she?
Shiro was outside looking at the stars in the sky. He remember his father telling him how to use it as a guide during traveling. He was trying to figure out other things. Jilun came up to him, and he turned to look at her.
"So, you're leaving, Shiro-kun?" asked Jilun softly. She could feel her heart breaking.
"Yes. Next week. I have to move on and train somewhere else," answered Shiro.
"But why? You can train here and learn everything you need here," said Jilun with a touch of pleading in her voice.
"No. I can't. I have to learn everything I can. I can't learn everything in one place," said Shiro shaking his head.
"But…I…" stammered Jilun as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"What? Why are you crying? When I'm gone, you'll be the top student here again. I won't be in your way again," said Shiro as he wiped the tear off her cheek. She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. She pulled back quickly. Shiro's eyes were wide open in surprise.
"I—I love you…and I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay here with me," whispered Jilun. Shiro looked at her. He knew what she had just said was true and it wasn't just an infatuation. Shiro stepped away from her.
"I'm sorry, but I can't feel the same way," he whispered knowing that he was hurting her.
"Why not?" cried Jilun.
"Because…I…love someone else," whispered Shiro as he looked away from her.
"Does she love you back like I do?!" cried Jilun.
"I don't think so," answered Shiro truthfully. He knew that she didn't love him back, but he still clung to some hope that the person he loved would one day love him.
"I don't understand. I love you already. How can you love someone who doesn't love you back?" shouted Jilun with a touch of hysteria in her voice.
"Because, I've loved her for most of my life. I can't stop no matter how hard I try. Besides, it's enough for me just to love her," said Shiro in a steady voice. One sided love was all he ever had. Jilun grabbed her chest and looked at him. His eyes were steady. He was telling her the truth. 'Everything he's not doing isn't just because he's a seishi, but it's because he loves her. It's all for her. It's never going to be for me. He'll never love me,' thought Jilun.
"Goodbye, Wei Kuairong," said Jilun as she walked away from him. Shiro stared after her and sighed. There wasn't anything he could have done. He couldn't even pretend to love her because it wasn't fair to string her along. Shiro prayed that one day she would get over it. He prayed that she would find someone to love her back as much as he loved the person he was training and fighting for. He would return one day and prove his worth. He swore to himself.
The week passed quickly because Shiro was being trained hard to get more in before he left. Jilun would avoid him and his gaze for the rest of the week. She didn't even say goodbye, but Shiro didn't expect her to because of the pain he had caused her. Jilun watched from a window as Shiro mounted a horse and rode off into the distance.
'Whomever she is…I hate her,' thought Jilun with a totally intense hatred for someone who had never even met. It was out of sheer jealousy.
~*~End of Flashback~*~
Jilun shook her head to clear away the memories. She still carried her feeling for Shiro and had heard the rumors about his fights. She even went so far as to see one of his fights. Jilun noticed that he had grown even more taller and was even more handsome. His skills were something that Jilun would never have. He was in a word: perfect. Jilun also carried the hatred she had towards the object of Shiro's affections. She wanted to know who she was and what made her so wonderful that Shiro would be so in love with her that he would fight for her. These were the things that drove her. She didn't agree with Shi Mengxin methods, but she agreed with his ideals. If the world wasn't what you wanted it to be, then remake into what it should be. Jilun had a vision of the world where the person that Shiro loved didn't exist. That would be her utopia.
* * *
Hono'o dismount her horse because she realized something. She was totally and utterly lost. It was the fog that did her in. She was now in a forest and hopelessly lost in it. "When I find Shiro…I'll kill him for this," said Hono'o out loud. She didn't care if she looked insane. This was all Shiro's fault as far as she was concerned. He was the reason why she had to suffer through all these discomforts, and when she found she would tell him so. She would also make him suffer through some of her discomforts during this journey.
'Where am I now? How can I get lost so close to Mt. Leikaku? I should know these places like the back of my hand,' thought Hono'o. She wanted to kick herself for getting lost. She lead her horse until she got to a clearing. As she walked further, she found that she was standing near a cliff.
"OH MY GOD!" gasped Hono'o as she looked down. She realized that it wasn't a cliff, but a valley. She looked a the beautiful valley below. She stepped back because she was at a steep ledge. She heard a sound that came from behind her. It was a woman who was shorter than her. Her hair was a dark brown and her eyes were gray.
"Who are you?" asked Hono'o. Part of her was grateful to see another human being because she still felt lost. Another part of her had a good amount of fear because of the intense look that the woman was giving her.
"It's you. You're a Suzaku seishi. I can't have you disrupting my plans," said the woman.
"How did you know?" gasped Hono'o. 'Who is this woman?' thought Hono'o.
The woman said nothing more. She was in a battle stance. Hono'o didn't have time to deal with someone like this. She launched a fireball. But, before it could do any damage, the woman had jumped onto a tree branch. Hono'o let out another fireball. The woman was too fast and coordinated to get caught. The technique looked a little like Shiro's. Suddenly, Hono'o realized who she was fighting.
"You're the one who tried to steal the Emperor's sword!" declared Hono'o with a sneer. She threw a ring of fire at the woman who was able to dodge it. 'Who the Hell is she?!' thought Hono'o.
The woman came down from the branch. "Is that all you have? My turn," said the woman as she used a sword. Hono'o didn't know what she was doing. She soon found out. The speed of the woman's sword was great. She could cut tree branches from where she was standing. Hono'o could feel the air around her cutting her skin.
"WHAT THE HELL?! STOP IT!" shouted Hono'o. The woman swiped her sword again. The wind cut Hono'o hair. The tie in the back was gone and the hair fell on the ground. Hono'o didn't care because she could feel the stinging cuts on her arms and legs. There was blood trickling down from every cut on her body. It had to be more than a dozen cuts. The cuts weren't too deep, but every one of them stung like Hell.
"And you're a Suzaku seishi? How pathetic! You can't even beat me!" shouted the woman as she swung her sword again. Hono'o could feel the air make fresh cuts on her body. Hono'o had to do something. The pain was intensifying. Hono'o closed her eyes and activated her powers. There was a ring of fire that formed around Hono'o. Her horse was frightened and took off running. The woman stopped swinging her sword. Hono'o clasped her hands together in concentration. She began to levitate off the ground. She released a fireball at the same Hono'o burned the clothes off her own body. She was now naked in the middle of the firestorm that she had created. Her eyes were closed.
The woman jumped up to a branch and back down a further distance. "I've never seen so much power in my life," said the woman as she took off. Hono'o could feel her body give out. She fell on the ground and the earth around her was scorched. She was passed out and totally helpless.
A man on a black horse emerged from the forest. He threw his black cloak over her body; he was careful not to look at her until the cloak covered her. He dismounted and picked her up. He frowned and when he noticed the cuts on her arms and legs. He could smell the burnt earth around him. He got on his horse and rode off.
* * *
Hono'o woke up during sunset. She had slept most of the day. She was in a large bed. Hono'o immediately sat up. She noticed that she was wearing a light white gown made out silk that was tied in the front. Her hand went up her head to find that her hair was gone. It was now up to her shoulders. The next thing that she noticed was her arms and legs. She saw the bandages on her arms. She lifted the blankets to find her legs were bandaged. She looked around her surroundings. The room was very large. It looked like something out of the palace in Eiyou. There was a great closet in the room with the doors shut. There was also a dresser. Everything looked as neat as a pin. There was a writing desk that was clean, but had several rolls in boxes in an organized manner. She saw a table where there was a sword in a sheath on a stand. There was a thick layer of dust on it. Before Hono'o got out of the bed, the door opened. There came in a young girl dressed in fine clothes. She was carrying a tray with a tea pot and two small cups.
"Hello Lei-sama," said the young girl timidly. As she set down the tray on the table where the sword was, and she opened the curtains to show that the sun was setting. Lei put her feet on the ground, but before she could stay up the young girl stopped her. "No, Oniichan says that you need to stay in bed for a while. He said you should rest. Do you want some tea? By the way, my name is Pei Pei." Hono'o nodded and leaned back against the headboard. This was all so strange. How was it possible that the people knew that Hono'o's name was Lei? She was being called "sama."
"Um…where am I?" asked Hono'o in a whisper.
"You're in our house," answered Pei Pei with a smile.
"You and your oniichan's house?" whispered Hono'o.
"Yes. He was the one who found you and brought you here. He's a healer. He's the healer for the entire village nearby, and also a bunch of farms. He is great and wonderful," said Pei Pei in a happy tone. Hono'o looked at the young girl. She looked very happy. She went on for a while longer saying how wonderful her older brother was. Hono'o looked outside of what was left of the daylight. She saw how large the grounds were. 'This is a very wealthy house,' thought Hono'o.
"This is my oniichan's room. He gave it up to you. I don't know why. Part of this house is a hospital, but right now it's being rebuilt, so that more patients can come. Oniichan says that he'll stay in one of the other guest rooms. This is furthest away from all the noise. He's so nice!" exclaimed Pei Pei as she smiled at Hono'o.
"Where is your oniichan? I would like to thank him," said Hono'o.
"He's out in the indoor garden getting some herbs, and he doesn't like to be thanked by anyone," replied Pei Pei.
"Oh. Okay. Hmm…he deserves some payment…but my saddle bag was on my horse that ran off," said Hono'o. Where was she in Konan?
"You should rest some more. Dinner is in a little while. I have to get back to my studies," said Pei Pei.
"Um…I'll see you later," said Hono'o.
Pei Pei stopped at the door and added, "Don't worry about paying my oniichan he'll understand that you don't have any money. All your clothes were gone. Shitian dressed you, and I helped. My oniichan didn't see anything." She took off with a smile.
'I wonder who her oniichan is. He sounds like a kind person who helps people all the time. I wish I could brag about my brothers like that, but they're not that nice. I have to find out where I am, so I can get back to looking for Shiro,' thought Hono'o as she drifted back to sleep.
Hakurou was in the indoor garden looking at herbs. The medicinal herbs were kept there so that they wouldn't be harmed by the elements. He wasn't really looking for anything. He just didn't want to be there when Hono'o woke up and thought that it would be best if Pei Pei and Shitian tended to her. Hakurou let out a sigh as he heard the sounds of footsteps coming towards him. He turned and smiled because it was Pei Pei.
"Is she awake?" asked Hakurou.
"Yes. She looks scared. Does she look like she was attack by bad men, Oniichan?" asked Pei Pei.
"No, she wasn't," reassured Hakurou.
"I'm glad," said Pei Pei with a sigh of relief.
"Did she say anything?" asked Hakurou.
"Well, she said something about having no money and thanking you. I told her that you didn't like thank yous and not needing any payment," reported Pei Pei.
"Good job, Pei Pei. That was good for your first lesson in improving your bedside manner," praised Hakurou gently.
"Really, Oniichan?" asked Pei Pei with her eyes glowing.
Hakurou nodded. Pei Pei was smiling. Hakurou found out that he liked making other people happy because he couldn't make himself happy. He smiled and thought about the injuries on Hono'o's body. They were done by a technique he had learned four years ago. Hakurou knew about, but he didn't who did it. There was something about this whole thing that he didn't like. There was something he could sense.
"Milord, it's time for dinner. Shall I summon our guest?" asked Teng Renbiao, one of the other servants in the estate.
"Yes. Call her down first. Pei Pei, meet her. I'll join you shortly," said Hakurou.
"Okay!" said Pei Pei as she ran off with Renbiao after he bowed to Hakurou. He turned back to the plants and let out a sigh.
Shitian and Pei Pei helped Hono'o get dressed for dinner. They dressed her in a light pink dress that was decorated with embroidered flowers because Pei Pei had pick it out. The maid, Shitian, put a hair clip into her hair and pinned it up. Hono'o wasn't used to being fussed over, and she wanted to tell them to stop. Pei Pei was chatting the whole time, while Shitian was quiet for the most part just like any other servant. Hono'o found out that Pei Pei was twelve years old, but short for her age. She also gave a history of the house, but didn't say anything more about her oniichan. They finally went down for dinner. There was a large marble dining table and there were three chairs set for dinner. Pei Pei took the seat next to the head of the table.
"The other end is for you, Lei-sama. After all, you are our guest," said Pei Pei with a smile. An elderly servant pulled the chair for her to sit down. "Where is Oniichan?" asked Pei Pei.
"Milord is still tending to the garden. He should be joining dinner shortly. He said that you could start without him," said the servant as he gave them a respectful bow and left the room.
Pei Pei and Hono'o started dinner without him in silence. 'What is all this? What am I doing here? Who is her oniichan? He's some powerful lord. What does he want with me? How do they know who I am? I can't waste my time here! I have to find Shiro! Why do I feel like I can't leave?' thought Hono'o as she played with the soup in front of her.
Meanwhile, Hakurou was still in the garden. He was no longer keeping up the pretense of looking at the plants. He looked through the window at the stars in the sky and sighed. Yoku, who was on one of the branches of the indoor garden, squawked at him.
"You're right. I can't hide out here forever. It's time I make my entrance," said Hakurou to Yoku. The falcon nodded as if he understood what his master had just said.
Hakurou went to the dining room. He saw that Hono'o was playing with her food. Hakurou came in without a sound. Pei Pei had to look up before she realized that he was even in the room.
"Oniichan!" exclaimed Pei Pei with a big smile on face. Hono'o looked up from her soup, and then promptly dropped her spoon.
"Hello Lady Kuo," said Hakurou in a formal tone without an expression on his face.
~*ClareBear's Omake*~
Chiriko: Mitsukake and I took over for this omake after the last time.
Mitsukake: ClareBear would like your opinion on something it's about the new support services on www.fanfiction.net.
Chiriko: Would you, the reader, be interested if ClareBear had a forum for you guys to go to?
Mitsukake: ClareBear posts stuff at the forum all the time, but hardly anyone ever answers the post, but she would like to know if you're interested.
Chiriko: The forum would have more detailed summaries for the rest of the gaidens, except for this one. After all, it's being written right now. No sneaky, peeky…
Mitsukake: What do you guys think so far about this gaiden? ClareBear thinks it's going to be very interesting. Who is this Jilun?
Chiriko: The girl that loved Shiro, but she still does.
Mitsukake: Reminds me of Yui in the series.
Chiriko: Maybe, there's hope for her yet.
Hotohori: Where's Miaka, Nuriko, and Tamahome?
Mitsukake: Um…Chiriko answer him.
Chiriko: I gave them directions to another place to do the omake because of what happened before. (he's in a cute superdeformed mode)
Mitsukake: He gave them a hard map to follow. They'll be gone for hours.
Hotohori actually sweatdropped, but maintains his regal form.