The Armor of the Cherry Blossom

By: Keila Tenshi

Part One: The Legend



Another Japan; Another World

"Do I smell bacon and eggs?" John Doris asked walking into the kitchen.

"Especially for you dad," Kim Doris, 17, said smiling handing a warm plate.

John sighed and took the plate from her. "Thank you," he said.

"I even made some for you Yamato-san," she said handing him a plate with a small bow.

The Japanese man took the plate with a speculative look on his face while he bowed back. "Thank you," he said.

Kim grinned, her light violet and dark blue eyes dancing, the golden flecks within them radiating light. She turned around and flung her mid-back pont-tail of brown hair with natural, bright gold highlights back over her shoulder. She went back to scrambling eggs and frying bacon.

"This is so good," John sighed after a bite. "Not that I don't appreciate your mothers cooking Haruo, but and American meal is good now and again," he said.

Haruo took a bite and chewed, exploring the new taste. He swallowed and nodded liking it. "How were you able to convince my mother to let you use the kitchen Kim-san?" he asked.

"It wasn't easy that's for sure, but I'm a really good talker," Kim answered.

Silently a beautiful, sleek white wolf came down stairs. He moved to Kim's side and gently butted her leg.

Kim took a piece of bacon and fed it to the wolf with an affectionate rubbing of his head and a, "Good morning White Gold."

The wolf's intelligent, alert, and quick gold eyes met hers with the same affectionate look and greeting Kim had given him.

Kim stood up again as Chieko Yamato entered wearing a kimono with a soft flower design and looking everything like a traditional Japanese woman.

"Good morning Yamato-san," Kim said bowing respectfully.

"Just Chieko Kim," she said. "Is what I smell the American meal you promised?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am." Kim handed her a plate.

"Now let's see if you cook as good as you said you do," she said going to the head of the table.

"You won't be disappointed Chieko. My daughter is a very good cook," John said.

"I agree with John mother, she is," Haruo said.

Kim grinned as she sat down at the table. "Thank you."

Chieko took a bite as everyone watched. "I like it," she said after a moment. "Much better than McDonald's."

"Mother!" Haruo exclaimed startled that his traditional mother would know what McDonalds was.

"Son, I'm not THAT set in my ways."

Everyone laughed.

A few moments later Kim was doing the dishes and arguing with Chieko who wanted to help and John and Haruo were preparing to leave for the archaeological dig they worked on together. They were trying to find the hidden tomb of an ancient lord who ruled the area.

"We'll see you two later at lunch," John said. "And remember that if you need us we're right down the hill."

"Dad we should know by now, we've been hearing that for a week!"

John smiled and kissed Kim on the head. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too dad," Kim said as her father walked out the door.

John stuck his head back into the room. "Oh yeah, one more thing. Kim..."

"Yes dad?"

"No more repeats of yesterday please," he said. He was referring to the fight Kim got into when she went to town to shop for eggs and bacon for that morning and some of the local boys started teasing her. Before John and Haruo and others had gotten there to stop it, Kim had fought off half of them. She had grown up learning how to fight when a local gang had beat her up for her stubborn bravery at not paying them to pass. The fighting plus her gymnastics training made her a very dangerous opponent. But she had a rule to usually wait for her opponent to throw the first punch before she fought back, unless her situation called for otherwise. Usually Kim could talk her way out of most situations, and sometimes into them.

"They started it," Kim argued.

"They might have thrown the first punch but you caused them to with your insult," John countered.

Kim sighed. "But they started it."

"Kim, no fights."

"Yes sir."

"Good girl. I'll see you at lunch."

"Kim?" Chieko said.

"Yes?"

"I find working in the garden very relaxing. Would you like to join me?"

"Certainly," Kim said. She liked gardening. She and White Gold followed Chieko out to the terrace garden next to the house. They began working.

"Do you know the legend of the Armor of the Cherry Blossom?" Kim asked after a while.

Chieko looked at her sharply. "Why do you ask?" she said slowly.

"Well you know how interested I am in legends and mythology," Kim started.

"Yes."

"Well, I've heard some of the workers talking about the legend of the Armor of the Cherry Blossom and I was wondering if you knew anything about it since you've lived here all you're life and I can't find anything about it in any of my books and on the Internet."

Chieko looked at White Gold who looked her in the eyes. Chieko understood and got slowly to her feet. "Come," she said moving to the porch and sitting on a low stool. "Sit before me and listen well."

Kim sat cross legged before Chieko's stool.

"A long, long time ago something happened here. A man appeared dressed in priest's clothes but like none seen before on the island. With him he carried a set of armor more beautiful and powerful than any other armor seen before. The local lord, the same one your father is looking for, sent some of his soldiers to capture this armor. The priest was a great and powerful warrior and he defeated the lord's soldiers easily. The lord, a smart man if not wise, was awed by this and made friends with this priest. The lord asked if anything could be done to make up for his mistake at sending his soldiers after him. The priest demanded that the lord order his people to stay in their homes for one week with out leaving them or even looking out the windows on the pain of death. The lord agreed to this and ordered it. The priest staid away from the lord for the one week and when he returned at the end of it he returned without the armor. The priest soon became the lord's chief advisor. Long were those years of peace when the lord ruled with the priest beside him. But the lord's son and heir didn't like the priest and the priest knew it so when the lord died the priest disappeared as well never to be seen again. Legend has it the during that one week he opened up one of the hills around here and placed the armor in it and that is where he went when he disappeared," Chieko finished.

"I wonder if he's still alive?" Kim mused.

"He is," Chieko said simply.

Kim looked at her.

"Some say that all the while he was with the lord he never aged. And he was with the lord for some forty years."

"Wow," Kim said thoughtfully. Some thing about the legend had hit a spot inside her memory. As she was exploring this her left hand idly drew in the dirt next to the edge of the porch. She said softly, "Armor of the Cherry Blossom, why does it ring a bell to me?"

Chieko got to her feet to go into the garden when she looked down at Kim who still sat with a look of deep thought on her face while she searched her memory. Chieko smiled. But her smile turned to surprised shock when she saw what Kim's left hand idly drew. She sat down staring at the kanji of peace Kim had drawn. She looked over at White Gold who sat next to Kim. She met the wolf's gold eyes and knew for certain. She looked back at the kanji. "Kim?" she said.

"Yes Chieko?"

"I want to tell you another part of the legend. One only my family knows."

Kim looked up at Chieko curiously.

"One of my ancestors who lived here at that time witnessed something no one else did the night the priest came. She saw the sky open for him."

"You mean a portal?" Kim asked.

"Yes," Chieko said. "He walked out of the portal and it closed after him. My ancestor witnessed this because she was right in front of it. She was young and no one believed her. Then that week no one could come or look out of their houses, she stole away and saw the priest, staff in hand, create the Temple of the Armor. He saw her and she was afraid for her life, but he only smiled and beckoned her to him. She came and he put her on his knee and told her a prophecy. He said that the armor was the Armor of the Cherry Blossom and represented peace. He told her that he had came from another world. He told her that the armor had been stolen from an evil force that would have used it for evil means and that his priest hood had sent him with the armor to this other world to protect it from the evil. He then told her that many, many, many years from then a person will come who will have the spirit and heart to become the bearer of the Armor of the Cherry Blossom. That person will have to go back to the world where the armor came from and help other Armor bearers to fight a great evil. He said that he had to protect the armor until the person who would claim it came." Chieko stopped and studied the confused, thoughtful, fearful look on her face far a few moments. Then she looked at the kanji of peace Kim had drawn. "Why don't you go for a walk while I make lunch," she suggested.

"All right," Kim nodded. Her mind was racing trying to handle and compute everything that was told her and what she was feeling. She needed a walk to help sort things out. A usually quick thinking and open minded girl this had her stumped. she got to her feet and made her way down the hill where the house was, White Gold following her. She turned back and saw Chieko look at her and then wave. Kim waved back then continued on.

Chieko watched the figure disappear down the hill. "Good luck," she said softly. She turned her back and entered the house.