- TOH SHIN DEN IV: Legends Never Die - The Pleiades Chapter -

a Toshinden Subaru fanfiction by Athena Asamiya


i'm here and i wonder if i'm lost
`cause i can't seem to understand the way i feel

CHAPTER FOUR: Uncertain



Translations:
waaaa, sugee! - wow, incredible!
baka - idiot
shijin - four gods
kunoichi - term used for a 'lady ninja'
maa ii - well, that's okay
dou suru? - what are you going to do?
otousan - father
e? - what?
honto - really
mou! - geez!
mattaku - honestly...


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"Waaaa, sugee!" Subaru exclaimed loudly, craning his neck back to look up at the massive Golden Prince Hotel. Gleaming against the lowering afternoon sun, the fairly new-looking hotel was a sight that was only common in the larger cities, not in a smaller city like Aizu. Subaru grinned hugely, clutching the sheathed Byakko no Tachi in excitement. "And we get to stay in a place like THIS? Lucky! I'm liking this tournament more every minute!"
"Yeah, well, it isn't going to be ALL fun and games, I'll tell you that," Naru said seriously, flipping a blond ponytail out of her way and motioning to the taxi's open trunk. "Better get your luggage, `cause we've gotta go check in. We already have reservations in our names, apparently, so everything should be clear from here on in. Think our other teammate will show up sometime soon?"
"Who, Rook? Nah, if I know him, then he's gonna be late - again." Subaru collected his bag from the cab, shrugging. "Might as well go on and check in without him. He'll show up sooner or later, but I should probably hang around and wait for him, once we get in."
"Okay, fine." Naru blew some bangs out of her face, as she too stared up at the gigantic building. "We made it here on time, that's what's important. Tourney's officially opened tonight, and the fights begin tomorrow, so we should hurry it up so we can get some practice time in." With that, she went ahead and walked through the glass sliding doors, leaving Subaru outside, so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice her leave. Gulping, he grabbed his bag and sprinted after her, pushing his way through the revolving doors and yelling, "Naru, wait-"
She didn't have to be told. Naru was halted in the middle of the lobby, mouth hanging open, stunned. Subaru slowly came to a stop right beside her, looking all around him and gasping, "...WHOA."
The lobby of the hotel was absolutely incredible, decorated in rich shades of maroon, crimson, forest green, and royal purple. There were many expensive-looking pieces of furniture, couches, armchairs and the like, and woven rugs of the same colours scattered over the expanse of the silver-flecked white marble floor. There was a sparkling crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling, catching the light from the stained glass windows, and a beautiful working fountain in the center of the foyer, carved of the same marble as the floor. The result was majesty in every sense of the word.
"Damn!" Subaru exclaimed loudly at the sight, once he had recovered. "This Gerard Foundation or whatever must be LOADED to be able to drop so much money on a place like this!"
"Money that's probably from crime dealings," Naru muttered, being sure to keep her voice low. "Anyways, get used to it. The rest of this place is probably just as impressive. The arenas are apparently on the lower levels, and the rest is contestants' and audience space. Audience being, you know, fans, the media, the press and stuff."
Subaru looked a little confused. "I always got the impression that the Toshindaibukai wasn't a big televised event."
"So did I, but apparently if you look hard enough..." She paused here, and Subaru waited to see if she was going to continue, or explain her comment, but she said nothing more. Instead, Naru headed for the front counter, which was staffed by a single young woman in a suit. She bowed briefly to Naru, and said brightly, "Welcome to the Golden Prince Hotel. Are you here for the Toshindaibukai?"
She nodded.
"Contestant or spectator?"
"Contestant."
"Do you have your invitation?"
"Right here." Naru slid the piece of white paper across the counter, and the woman examined it briefly. She typed a few words into a nearby computer, checked the invitation again, then gave it back to Naru with a luminous smile. "Miss Amoh. Do you have your teammates with you?"
"One of them's over -- hey, Subaru!" Naru yelled over at her spiky-haired teammate, who was wandering through the lobby, still gazing at his surroundings in awe. Naru buried her face in her hands. "...country boys. Honestly."
The woman tilted her head to one side, the smile never leaving her face. "Excuse me?"
"Oh, nothing. Subaru, get over here!" He looked over at the sound of his name, then waved to her and sprinted up to the desk. "What's up?"
"They need your invitation, baka."
Subaru scowled at her. "Hey, you don't need to get mad! I just wanted to take a look around." He flashed the invitation to the woman, and she proceeded to tap at the computer, then nodded and turned back to them. "All right then, Miss Amoh and Mr. Shinjo, here are your room keys. There is a restaurant inside the hotel off to your left, and the battle arenas are to the right of the elevators. The training center is located on the first basement level, and is open for use to contestants. There will be an announcement made tonight pertaining to the opening of the tournament and the fight schedule. Please leave your luggage with the bellboys, and make yourselves at home. Welcome to the Toshindaibukai."
She turned back to her computer, obviously finished her business with them. Subaru and Naru exchanged glances, then accepted their room keys and tossed their luggage on a passing bellboy's cart. Subaru exhaled loudly, checking the sword at his side. "So, what now?"
"Well," Naru started, glancing over at a pair of silver elevators near the right hallway, "I'm going to go to my room and unpack. You're going to stay and wait for Rook, right? I'll meet up with you later. If you need me, I'll be in room 4324." And just like that, she turned and left for the elevators. Subaru watched after her for a minute, then sighed. "I hardly know her, and I can already tell that I'm never going to understand her."
Deciding to continue his inspection, Subaru wandered aimlessly through the giant lobby of the hotel, trying to take in all of his opulent surroundings at once. However, he eventually stopped, transfixed by an immense Chinese-style hanging on one of the lobby's farthest sidewalls. Entwined within backgrounds of plants and menageries of animals, with colour schematics of blue, red, green and white, were four large creatures: one at the top, bottom, left and right sides of the hanging. At the top was a dark green turtle with a black snake twisting around its shell; at the bottom was a crimson phoenix, its wings outspread; at the left was a coiling deep blue dragon, all scales and claws; and at the right-
-a white tiger?
Subaru glanced down at the sword attached to his belt, then back up at the mural, noticing the strange kanji written in thick brush strokes on the hanging. Shijin-
"Hey, SUBARU!!!"
"Rrrrrrgh!" Subaru grit his teeth at the sudden pressure of a chokehold from behind. Fortunately, he happened to recognize the voice, and he smirked. Striking out by driving his elbow into his assaulter's midsection, he continued by backfisting him in the face, smiling a little when he felt his fist connect with the man's nose, followed by a mild curse. Subaru grabbed his sheath and slid forward, aiming to hit the man in the chin with the end of his sword. However, this attack was deftly avoided, and Subaru felt a sharp pain as he was kicked in the back of the knees, then across his torso. Off-balance, he went down, but not before grabbing the person's outstretched foot and twisting it over him, reversing the throw and tossing him to the ground. Subaru narrowed his eyes, smiling. "Check and mate."
"Damn, man, you always take our fights too seriously!" Rook Castle laughed, kicking out of Subaru's tight grasp. The American quickly flipped to his feet, attempting to adjust his cyan hair. "And you just messed up my perfect hair!"
Subaru laughed. "Give me a break, you ALWAYS think you look perfect." He slapped Rook on the shoulder. "Good to see you again, anyway."
"Yeah, same here. I've sure missed you, out fighting downtown." Rook gestured around him. "And look what ended up bringing us together! The Toshindaibukai! This is so fucking cool, I can't believe it's really happening! And LOOK at this place! Posh or what? Might even top my apartment."
Subaru sighed. "I've spent the last couple days being reminded that 'we aren't here for fun and games.'"
"By our other team member, I'm supposing? Where is the girl anyway?" Rook grinned devilishly at Subaru. "Don't tell me she's retired to the honeymoon suite already..."
Subaru turned nearly as red as the sofa behind him. "We AREN'T in love!! We barely KNOW each other!!" But Rook only laughed at his outburst of a response, commenting, "You're still the same as ever, taking offense at the littlest thing. Too damn sensitive if you ask me. Pretending to be Mr. Tough Guy, but you're still just a kid."
"Bite me," Subaru muttered good-naturedly, not willing to give his friend any more opportunity to make fun of him. Changing the subject, he asked with a cocky grin, "So, you ready to fight?"
Rook grinned, proudly proclaiming, "Damn straight! I got my nunchaku right in my bag, ready to kick some ass. Actually, you wanna know my real reason for wanting to be here?" Not waiting for Subaru's reply, he leaned closer, continuing in a quieter voice. "I'm looking for a girl I fought a couple months ago. Ninja, I'm guessing. Don't see too many of them around New York. Anyways, she beat me, and Subaru don't you DARE-"
Too late. Subaru was already laughing his head off as soon as Rook had said the words. "You...the almighty Rook was BEATEN?? By some KUNOICHI?!? Dammit, that's-"
"I know, I know, pathetic," grumbled Rook. "But listen, she was really gorgeous, and I couldn't help but be a gentlemen and let her win--"
"What, so you could go for her phone number and ask her out for a coffee sometime?" Subaru snickered. "Hope my hormones aren't affecting MY fighting prowess by the time I'm twenty-two." He then had to block a high kick to his face. "Just kidding, alright? Saying I'M sensitive..."
"Whatever. I'm trying to tell you, so listen up." Rook crossed his arms and looked away. "I've been trying to find her ever since. It's been real difficult though, since I don't even know her name. But hell, man, I don't know...I figure she might be here as well. She was a great fighter, one of the best I've seen, and I thought there was a good enough possibility..."
Subaru sank down into the chair behind him, thinking this over. "Yeah, you're probably right on that one. If she was as good as you said, then there isn't much of a reason why she wouldn't be here too."
Rook nodded, running his fingers through his spiky hair. "That's what I was thinking. Good enough reason for me to be here, anyway." He smiled suddenly, remembering a firm belief that Subaru had once told him about. "You always have to have something to fight for, right? You still believing in that, kid?"
His friend closed his eyes, smiling as well. "Why wouldn't I? It keeps me going."
"So then..." Rook plopped down beside him, taking up nearly the whole length of a couch, "what are YOU fighting for here?"
There was no response right away from Subaru, who only heaved a sigh and opened his eyes a crack, but they looked full of sadness. "Niisan."
Rook reacted nearly immediately to this word, knowing that 'niisan' was what Subaru called Eiji, his brother, who also happened to be Rook's hero. "What? What about Eiji? What happened to him?"
Subaru exhaled, refusing to meet Rook's deep blue eyes. "It's...well, it'd take a while to explain all of it, but...he disappeared. About a year ago, I guess, maybe more. I'd just gotten back from the journey we were on, you remember that, when I decided to go back to Japan for a while, to see him...but he was just...gone." He unattached the katana from his belt, and held it out for Rook to see. "Left this behind."
"Holy shit..." Rook breathed, "is that the Byakko no Tachi?!"
"The one and only. Guess it's my sword now, like it was meant to be." Subaru frowned gloomily, turning the sheathed sword over and over in his lap, before finally sliding it into his duffel bag. "Didn't think I was supposed to inherit it so soon though, and under those circumstances..."
Seeing how down his friend looked, Rook was silent for a moment, then quietly questioned, "So, you're here looking for him then, is that it?"
"Yeah, I guess it is. I thought, maybe -- since he fought in the Toshindaibukai before, he might be here again. And he could be. I just have to find him, and bring him home." Subaru managed to smile weakly at Rook. "Well, there's my reason, other than for the fame and fortune and all that."
Rook snickered. "Should've known better than to underestimate you on THAT one. Yep, the prestige looked pretty damn good to me too." He made a thumbs-up, smirking at Subaru. "So we both find what we're looking for, and then we get our fame and a few good fights in-between. Sounds like a sweet deal to me."
Hearing his friend's brash tones, Subaru couldn't help but grin along with him. "Works for me too. But we have to win this thing first."
"Ah, don't worry about it. We'll smear the competition all over the arena walls." Rook's head turned away for a second, and he added, "Speaking of competition..."
"Huh?" Subaru followed Rook's gaze to the door, where a group of three - KIDS - had just entered, and were staring around them in awe, just as he and Naru had. Obviously it's a common reaction, thought Subaru. But just who are they...? Fighters too? He doubted it, but he wasn't completely sure either. The leader of the bunch was obviously a little blue-haired girl in a pink dress, and she was flanked from behind by a short purple-haired boy and a pale boy with dark blue hair tied in a ponytail. Subaru raised an eyebrow, thinking that they looked WAY too young to be there.
Echoing his thoughts, Rook glanced at the group and snorted. "Kid fighters? Give me a break. They shouldn't be here without their parents."
Subaru hastily peeked over at the three to see if they had noticed Rook's rather insulting comments, but thankfully, they were out of earshot. He didn't like teasing people younger than him. "C'mon, maybe they're just fans or something."
"Don't think so -- check out what they're carrying. Those are WEAPONS, man." Rook shook his head piteously. "They're definitely here to fight, but they don't even look half-experienced! Too bad they'll just end up losing."
"I wouldn't speak so soon..." Subaru said. "They could be really good for their age. I'M only eighteen, remember?"
"Oh, excuse me, YOU'RE a kid fighter too, then!" laughed Rook.
"Shut up. Fooling them by your age is good for an advantage," Subaru retorted. He turned back to look at the group, watching the girl turn around and exchange a few words with the two boys, grinning happily. The purple-haired one raised his fist in the air and said something loudly, although Subaru still couldn't make it out, and the girl giggled and said something else, while the other boy crossed his arms and nodded. Suddenly, the girl's violet gaze flitted over to him, surprised. Subaru looked away quickly, knowing that it was rude to stare, but he could still feel her eyes on him. It was weird, and made him feel uncomfortable.
Deciding to ignore it, Subaru stood up, grabbing his bag and turning to Rook. "You have to go check in. I'm going to go get settled in, and try to find Naru. The tourney starts tonight, so we'll catch up with you then, okay?"
"Right, got it." Rook winked at Subaru. "Don't get too much action in with her tonight. You gotta save some strength for our fights."
Subaru started to retort, but just shook his head. "Baka. See you, then."
"Yeah, see ya."
He managed to make it to the elevator, but still couldn't shake the feeling that the girl was watching him. Maa ii, he thought, shrugging as he checked his room key and hit the button for the right floor, she's just another contestant.

***************

Puella fairly burst out of the taxi, the beaming smile on her face refusing to fade as she attempted to get the attention of her two teammates, flailing her arms in the air. "Come on, come on! You have to see the SIZE of this thing!!"
Lancelot, who was already trying to unload their luggage, looked up at his happy friend with a smile. "You're just as excitable as you ever were, Pue-chan."
"Yeah, betcha see buildings this big all the time, right Lance?" Fen said, leaning against the taxi door with Wolfy at his feet. Lancelot nodded, as he gazed up at the beautiful hotel. "I do. My family owns a castle that's probably around the same size, if not a little larger."
"REALLY?? Whoa...care to invite us over sometime?"
Lancelot started to reply, but it was at this point that Puella bounded up, taking her bag from Lancelot and waving her arms around in excitement. "Guys, you can talk later! I wanna see what this place is like on the INSIDE! So get your bags and hurry up! Come on!"
Puella turned in a flash, making a beeline for the hotel's glass doors. Fen snatched his bag and yelled, "Wait for us, Puella!" running after her with Wolfy close at his heels. Lancelot only smiled to himself, taking his time to get inside with his two bags -- one which contained his clothes and necessities, the other his much coveted laptop computer. He checked his watch, which read 5:48 in digital letters. We've got plenty of time, Lancelot thought in relief. But a look of worriment crossed his face, as his mind turned to other thoughts. Duke...am I really ready? And...what would Father think? Lancelot closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh before glancing up at the building again, his mind retrieving her image, as it had so many times before since that day.
Naru...you're here, I KNOW you are...
In the meantime, both Puella and Fen had skidded to a halt in the lobby, gaping at their surroundings. The awestruck look on Puella's cute face turned to wonder as she looked all around her, trying to take it all in at once, the colours and the paintings and the fountain and the furniture. Growing up in a small orphanage with little money, she had never seen such a thing in her life. "Fen, LOOK at this place! It...it's beautiful!"
"Yeah," said Fen breathlessly. "This hotel's amazing!"
"I agree," Lancelot added, finally catching up with the group. "This organization-"
"-the Gerard Foundation," interrupted Puella, a scowl crossing her face, and Lancelot shrugged. "Yes, the Gerard Foundation must have a fair amount of money to be able to furnish a hotel like THIS."
"If they have so much money to drop on a hotel, think about what the FOOD's like!" Fen cried enthusiastically, raising a fist in anticipation. Puella giggled, commenting, "All you ever think about is your stomach!"
Lancelot smiled briefly at the joke, but crossed his arms and nodded, his green eyes taking on a serious tone. "We shouldn't really be joking around. After today, we have to focus on being fighters, if we want to win."
"And we have to win," Puella murmured, almost to herself. All of a sudden, she felt a flash of - something - from her left. Puella turned her head, and locked eyes with a boy. He was sitting on an armchair at the other end of the lobby, accompanied by another young man who was obviously his friend-
-or teammate?
The boy was obviously a Japanese teenager, probably a few years her senior, with reddish hair done up in elaborate gravity-defying spikes, held above his deep crimson eyes by a white and black headband lined with red. He was dressed normally in blue jeans and an orange-and-yellow t-shirt, and had previously been chatting with the man beside him -- Puella remembered noticing them briefly when she had first been scanning the lobby. The boy looked fairly ordinary, pretty handsome even, but that wasn't what caught her attention.
It was the strong power she felt coming from him -- a power nearly exactly to that of the Suzaku no Yumi.
Puella's eyes widened, remembering the strange crimson light that radiated from the bow, and how much power it gave off. So how's it possible that I feel the same power from him...? It wasn't the exact same, but close enough, and while Puella had no doubt in her mind now that this boy was a fellow fighter, she still couldn't figure out what the connection between him and the Suzaku no Yumi was.
As soon as their eyes met, purple on red, he looked away, not expecting her to notice him. But Puella kept staring, trying to place the source of the strange power that came off him. She came up with nothing, no explanation for it, and it confused her.
The boy got up from his chair, said something to his friend, then headed for the elevators without giving Puella a second look. But she continued to watch after him, so intensely that she almost forgot where she was.
"Pue-chan? What's wrong?"
Lancelot's soft voice penetrated her thoughts, and Puella looked up at her friend in confusion, but then she smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, Lan-chan. I was just wondering who that boy was."
"The spiky-haired guy who just left?" Fen glanced over at the elevators, seeing that he was gone already. "Looked like another contender, if you ask me."
"Hm...I thought so, too." Changing the subject, Puella dug the white invitation out of her dress pocket and held it up, pointing to the desk behind them. "But I think we should go get signed in before we do anything else!"
As the three headed towards the main desk, invitations ready, Puella stared for a moment longer at the spot where the boy had been, and again, she wondered to herself. Wondered...
...Just who was he?

***************

"So, they're all here."
As she was accustomed to doing, the lithe woman Eos bowed on one knee, lowering her head. "Yes, Master-sama. All of the invited participants have checked in, and the tournament shall be opened tonight."
"Finally, a chance for some action," grumbled the large man known only as Zero. "I hope these children put up enough of a fight before they die."
The Master shook his head, slowly. "We aren't going to kill them, Zero. We are simply going to...observe them for the time being."
Eos raised her head a little, but did not open her eyes -- she never did. "And then?"
Master made a sound that resembled a snicker. "Then we have a little fun with our guests." He clenched a fist. "And, of course, receive the power of the weapons that shall be ours before this tournament is finished."
The two silently bowed to their Master, then left the room without another word. However, the Master sat behind, pondering the events that were to come. And it almost seemed like a smile crossed his shadowed face, as he thought of the one young man that was sure to be among the fighters participating.
...Dou suru...? Subaru Shinjo...

***************

Naru dropped her bag in the front hallway of her hotel room, surveying it in approval. The spacious room consisted of a small front hall with closet, a living-room type area with a couple of couches, a large TV and a balcony with a giant window that opened to a beautifully scenic view of Osaka. There was also a tiny kitchen, and a short hallway with rooms leading off it -- a bathroom and bedroom. It was actually fairly big for a hotel room, more like a small apartment, and quite luxurious. Better than anywhere I've stayed, anyway, Naru thought bitterly, letting out a gusty sigh. It had been a long ride, and the past three days had been a whirlwind of action, anticipation and emotion for her, with the induction of a possible newfound friendship with the boy known as Subaru Shinjo. Although she couldn't say she knew him excruciatingly well just yet, Naru had already determined that he was a nicer guy than many she'd known before, and smiled to herself wryly at this. ...After all, I AM an Amoh, and he's a Shinjo. Our friendship's practically set in stone. Her thoughts interrupted by a sudden yawn, Naru realized that she was also dead tired, and made a beeline for one of the couches. However, as soon as she plopped herself down hard on the cushion, Naru felt a crinkle of paper underneath her. She shifted in curiosity, before pulling the familiar white card out of her red shorts' back pocket. Just examining the invitation, turning it over in her gloved hands, was enough to bring back all the images that had been prevalent in her mind ever since she had received it.
Otousan...
Almost immediately, she was able to retrieve his mental picture. Him smiling warmly, a rarity for him; his long blond hair hanging across his handsome face, into his aqua-green eyes that she knew so well, that were so similar to her own. Her face still somber, Naru flipped open the invitation card, and a photo that she had slipped in there fell out onto her lap. Naru stared at it silently, one slim finger absent-mindedly tracing the outline of the happy figures imprinted on the shiny paper: herself, at about four or five, and her father holding her in his arms. She was hugging him, and Naru could still hear their laughter even as she looked at the photo, at least eleven years after the time when it had been first taken. During a time when she believed that everything was alright, and everything would remain alright, with her and her father, forever...
Naru surprised herself then. She thought she had cried enough in the past little while; not out of sadness or a loss of hope, but out of the frustration and desperation that had come from her fruitless search. That, and the loneliness that was always with her, that she thought she could have hidden away in the depths of her soul, because she believed that she would need no one. But as much as she knew that she had always been fooling herself with that ideal, Naru surprised herself, when she saw a droplet of liquid splash down onto the photo, obscuring the laughing faces of the father and daughter. She wiped it away, but another one took its place, and Naru soon found herself hunched over, hugging her shaking body with the silent tears running down her face, and his name running through her mind endlessly. And abruptly, the photo, the tears and the memories threw her back into her past, when her desperate journey to find her father first began.

I finally finished packing my bag, double-checking it twice to make sure I had everything - though it wasn't like I actually owned many possessions - and decided that I was as ready as I was ever going to be. Tonight would be the night I escape from here, this housing institute in Glasgow, whose population was mostly made up of trouble kids that parents had gotten rid of. But I knew that that wasn't the case with me. It couldn't be, there was no possible way, otousan would never do such a thing to me, his daughter-
Then why hasn't he returned for you...
I shook my head, trying to get rid of the little nagging thought that was usually present every time I tried to figure out why otousan left me here, alone. And yet, in the whole of ten years I'd been staying here, I hadn't come to any conclusions as to WHY. One part of me believed that he didn't want me, so he dumped me here, while another believed that he meant to come back for me, but something had happened to him. Neither one was a very desirable prospect in my mind. Not that it was a terrible torture to live here; it was fairly decent, I excelled in my schoolwork - many of my teachers often said that I was wise beyond my years, either a blessing or a curse in my opinion - and I got along with the other kids, for the most part. A lot of them stayed out of my way, hearing the rumour that I had an actual sword in my room, and I trained with it every day. Yeah, I HAD pretty much mastered all of otousan's fighting techniques, since he had already taught me the basics of them, and whatever I didn't know, I made up impromptu. So most kids knew to avoid me, and not to piss me off. Good idea. I hadn't been a problem child, mostly wrapped up in my own problems and worries involving my father and I, but I was never much in the mood to deal with anything else.
Enough about the past, I reminded myself sternly. Get your mind back in the present, and leave. Go find your father. If he isn't going to come to you, then you have to go to him. Instinctively, as I always did before I was worried or afraid - two emotions I had felt a lot of in the past ten years - I reached up and touched the silver cross that hung around my neck, just as it had otousan's. His voice echoed through my mind, as it often did, because I would never have allowed myself to forget him.
'Naru, be strong. Be strong...'
I will, Father. I'll be strong like you, and I'll find you. So wait, wait for me...
Picking up my bag and attaching the sheathed Excalibur to my belt, I silently opened the window of my dorm room, careful not to wake anyone else on the same floor, and slunk out of my room into the night. But as soon as I thought I had made it, I heard a voice calling behind me. "...Naru!!"
I turned around, frightened. Running up behind me was Celia MacAlistair, another girl from my dorm who was around my own age, and I guess you'd call her one of my closer friends. Granted, she didn't know me that well - no one really did - but she knew as much about me as I was willing to tell. I sighed in relief, seeing that it wasn't one of the institute staff, and wondering what she was going to do, if she was going to turn me in or try to convince me to stay. "Look Celia, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving. I can't stay here any more."
Celia stopped in front of me, her short brown hair swaying in the late night breeze. "So you really are going to go, then? Is that it? You're going to run out into the world on some crazy quest to find your father??"
"It's not crazy! You don't understand!" I was at the verge of yelling, but kept my head enough to remember to keep my voice down. I lowered my voice and glared into her hazel eyes. "Celia, this is the only way for me. I HAVE to go find him. I'm not going to keep sitting around and waiting. You know me better than that."
She glared right back at me. Celia had known of my plans of someday running away from the institute, and always been against it. Whether she thought it was for my own good or not, I didn't know. "I thought I knew you, Naru. Now I'm not so sure."
"Look, I'm good enough with my swordplay now that I CAN go out there on my own, and survive. Trust me, Celia, I'm not going to die that easily. I'll be fine, and I have to find otousan, no matter what it takes. He saved me once, and if he's the one who needs saving this time, then I have to be the one to do it." I smiled lopsidedly at Celia, trying to smooth things over. "I don't want to leave here on a bad note with a person who apparently 'knows me'. Friends?"
She looked hesitant, but finally nodded and smiled. "Friends still. I'll miss you, Naru. Things won't be the same around here without you."
"I'll miss you too. You're one of the only friends I've ever had, and I'll always remember that." We hugged, and I saw that she was trying not to cry. Little too sensitive, in my opinion, that Celia. She wiped her eyes quickly, but then they lit up. "Oh yeah, these came earlier for you, and I forgot to give them to you. Here." With that, she dug into her coat pocket and handed me two slips of white paper. Two cards.
With black kanji reading Toh, Shin, and Den.
I only managed to stifle my gasp, but it was enough for Celia to take notice and she looked over at me, wide-eyed. "Something wrong, Nar?"
I lowered them slightly, then looked back at her, shaking my head and forcing a smile. "Um, no, nothing's wrong. Thanks a lot, Celi." I grabbed my bag off the ground, and turned around, nodding. "I'm going."
"Be careful, Naru, and take care of yourself."
Without another word to her, I darted off, nimbly leaping over the stone wall surrounding the institute, and out into the world. I made sure I got far enough away on foot before actually sitting down and reading what was printed on the inside of the cards.

You have been requested to show your remarkable fighting skills in the Toshindaibukai. It will begin in eight months' time, at the site of the Golden Prince Hotel, in Osaka, Japan. We have invited only the best warriors from around the world, and we expect you and your team of three to live up to our expectations.
- Gerard Zaidan

The Gerard Foundation!
Unfortunately, I knew them all too well, and I felt anger rush through me as I thought about when they kidnapped me, back in 1995, when I was five years old. Fortunately, otousan and the other fighters he was allied with managed to save me and destroy the evil organization - I still had nightmares about the whole experience. But now, it looked like they'd reappeared on the scene, and had resurrected the fighting tournaments known as the Toshindaibukai. My mind swam with confused questions, such as how they still knew my name, how they found out where I was, and what part I was to play in their deadly little game. I clenched my teeth, knowing that there was some heavy-level shit going on here, and I had to get to the bottom of it -- before something else happened, to erase everything that my father and his friends had fought so hard for. And to do that, it looked like I was probably going to end up at the Toshindaibukai -- if I couldn't find otousan first, that is.
"Well," I mumbled out loud, "it looks like the first step in my journey has already been decided for me."
I have eight months to find out everything I can about my father's whereabouts, and then this Toshindaibukai if I can't find him. And maybe, if nothing else, this tourney holds the key to finding him...maybe...
And somewhere, far away, I could hear a voice calling my name...

"Hey, Naru! Naru...I have the right room, right? Open up!"
"-Huh?" Naru was jolted out of her flashback by the sound of a familiar voice, belonging to a particular spiky-haired swordsman whom she'd recently befriended. Subaru...? She shook her head briefly, trying to dust away the last remaining bits of the vivid memory, and made sure that she'd wiped all the traces of tears off her face. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to see her in that state, crying and weak.
Strong, like otousan said...
Before Naru could open the door, it was opened for her - she had forgotten to lock it, apparently - and Subaru poked his head in. "Naru? You okay?"
She tried to smile, like nothing was wrong at all. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Subaru shrugged. "I knocked for a while, but you didn't answer."
"Didn't I...?" She couldn't seem to remember. "Sorry, then. Come on in."
He obliged, stepping into the front hallway and examining the hotel room's interior. "Our rooms are practically the same. Nice or what?"
"Yeah, I guess so," said Naru. She watched him walk around her room for a minute, before abruptly asking, "What'd you come to see me for, anyway?"
"E?" Subaru looked over at her, wide-eyed at her tone of voice, before grinning and putting one hand behind his head. "Well, I can't fool you. I just wanted to see if you're doing okay." He shrugged, his voice dropping a level. "And by the looks of it, apparently, you're not."
Shit. "What makes you think that?"
"You were crying. I can tell. Don't take me for a fool, Naru; just tell me what's wrong, so I can help."
Naru felt like she should say something, but nothing came out, and Subaru turned away in a huff. "Fine, be that way. Holding emotions in isn't good for you, you know."
She glared at him from under blond bangs in response. "You think I need life lessons? Please." Sighing in exasperation, she shook her head. "Okay, let's just stop this. We sound like a pair of kids."
He stared at her for a second, then nodded in agreement. "You're right. Sorry."
Naru began to say something else, but she stopped when she saw that something on the couch had caught Subaru's attention, and he went over to investigate. She could only watch, unmoving, as he picked up the photo. He examined it, then simply commented, "Your father?"
"Yeah...it is." She went over to him, taking the picture and looking at it with him. "That was him and me back when I was about four or so. Before everything got screwed up."
Subaru kind of nodded. "I know that feeling," he said quietly.
She wanted to ask him how, why, how could he possibly know what she had felt, what she had been through and gone through in her attempts to find her father. But she refrained from it, not wanting to bring up any more conflict between them - it had been a long day, obviously - and instead, turned her attention back to the photo. She chuckled a little. "God, we look so happy...it's been so long. Too long."
"Too long since you've been with him, or too long since you've been happy?" asked Subaru. She was surprised a little; he sounded like he genuinely cared. A nice guy indeed. But not for me... Naru slightly tuned him out then, slowly inhaling and whispering in answer, "Both, it seems."
A silence passed between them, before Naru finally shoved the photo back into the pocket of her shorts, without another word. She looked up at Subaru and smiled, hoping desperately that it looked like she was alright. "Hey, so don't kid me: What'd you REALLY come here for?"
Subaru looked kind of uncomfortable then, and fidgeted a bit before saying, "I was...kinda wondering something."
Naru raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? What's that?"
Subaru sighed, then looked her directly in the eyes as he spoke. "...I wanted to know how you know so much about the Gerard Foundation. About them, this place, this tournament...it seems you know more than any of us should."
She stared at him for a moment, before breaking into laughter. "Jesus, you sound so SERIOUS, Subaru! Don't start thinking I'm in league with these bastards, now -- I only know so much about them because I did my homework. Otousan had a good number of connections in the crime world, and I was able to get all the information I could on the Gerard Foundation before I came. Unfortunately, said information didn't include their new leader, or just WHY they've started holding Toshindaibukai again -- their motive, in other words." She tilted her head, smiling. "And as for knowing so much about the actual tournament, I lived through one. That gives you about all you need to know."
Subaru exhaled. "Well, that's a relief." Seeing the look on Naru's face, he laughed and added, "I didn't REALLY think that you were working with them, Naru, honto! I was just curious, is all."
"That's good to know. I wouldn't think you were THAT untrusting."
Subaru winked, waving a finger at her. "I wouldn't think you know me that well yet."
"Well, maybe I don't, then," Naru answered back, smiling. "But it's not like you're spilling out your life story to me or anything -- which is what I did for you, remember."
"Huh?" Subaru looked hurt. "I've told you all you need to know about me-"
Naru laughed. "Exactly! All I NEED to know. You haven't gone past that line at all." She leaned towards him, green eyes glimmering. "I believe that if we're going to be a team, we have to trust each other. And that means letting each other know everything, even the little things."
He looked a little detached for a second, but quickly came back and nodded. "Okay, you're right. But really, there's nothing more of importance in MY life than what I told you."
"Sure, sure. You can say that, but I don't have to believe it. C'mon, you're a Shinjo, Eiji raised you, so you MUST have had some interesting stuff happen in your life."
He smiled placidly. "Nope, not at all."
"Mou! You ARE a real idiot, you know that?" Naru huffed in exasperation, bopping Subaru on the head. But she still grinned. "Don't worry, I'll get it out of you sooner or later. And I guess I'm going to have to live with you, for now."
Subaru, who was rubbing the back of his head, smiled weakly. "Don't I feel loved."
"...And don't YOU two make a happy little couple!"
Both Subaru and Naru swung around to see a new figure at the doorway. A tall young man, fairly good-looking, with deep blue eyes and light bluish-green hair done up in smaller spikes than Subaru's. He grinned pointedly at Subaru. "Fooling around your new girl already, Subaru? And in a hotel room no less! Well, can't say I blame you, though I have to wonder why both of you are still fully-clothed..."
Subaru turned bright red and muttered, "mattaku..." under his breath before saying, "Give me a break already, Rook! We were just talking-"
He shrugged. "Don't try to deny it -- I INVENTED that flirting tactic."
"Good God..." Subaru sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this one. He looked between both Rook (who was sizing Naru up) and Naru (who was giving Rook an evil look), and decided to at least introduce them before one ripped the other apart. "Naru, this is Rook Castle, the other member of our team. Rook, this is Naru Amoh, the girl I told you about who's NOT my girlfriend."
They shook hands tensely, and Rook eyed Naru for a bit longer before commenting, "So, how does a lovely lady like you stay single?"
She smirked devilishly. "Practice. Especially dealing with guys like you."
Rook pretended to look hurt. "I didn't mean it like THAT! I had perfectly honest intentions--"
"Naru, don't fall for it. That's his 'feel-sorry-for-poor-lonely-me' pickup," Subaru hissed at her. A corner of her mouth turned upwards slightly at hearing that. "Yeah, I would have thought so-"
"Attention, please."
The sudden, distant-sounding female voice startled all three of them, who immediately began looking for the source. "Sounds like an intercom," said Rook, "but I don't see one anywhere."
"Hidden, maybe?" said Naru. "What a comforting thought..."
Before they could discuss this further, the voice continued. "Welcome everyone, to the 2006 Toshindaibukai, the Grand Martial Arts Tournament of the Fighting God. We are pleased to announce that what you are attending is the first Toshindaibukai held in recent years." ("Oh, I wonder why THAT is," muttered Naru sarcastically.) "We have invited only the top weaponry and martial arts masters from around the world, so you will see a truly legendary tournament indeed! The tournament's official opening is tonight at 7:00 in the main arena, and the first fight will be tomorrow morning. Afterwards, you will be notified of your fights' times. All participants are required to attend the opening tonight and all of their fights, or there shall be disqualifications. Thank you for attending, and enjoy the Toshindaibukai."
"Yeah, big chance of us enjoying it when there's world-domination schemes going on in the background," grumbled Subaru. "Sounds like they're pretty rigid about us showing up, too."
"Probably because they want to keep an eye on us -- we ARE their main attraction here, y'know," Rook said. "Wait a minute -- who's 'they'?"
Naru was the quickest one to answer, and also the most opinionated on this topic. "The Gerard Foundation. Biggest bunch of assholes - SUPERHUMAN assholes - that you've ever met. This is their little idea of fun -- bringing a whole group of fighters together to let them beat each other into bloody pulps, and then they take the ones who DO survive and try to persuade them to join their evil little corporation. Usually by force." She shrugged. "At least, that's what I've denounced, based on the results of the last few."
Rook let out a low whistle. "Whoa. I never knew about that."
"What, you know about the Toshindaibukai too?"
"Damn straight I do. When I was a kid, I lived overseas for a while with my parents. We were in Japan at the time of a Toshindaibukai in 1994, and I sneaked in to see it. Would've gotten my ass whupped if I had been found out, but I wasn't, and it was one of the most incredible things I'd seen in my life." He jabbed a thumb towards Subaru. "Saw his brother KICK ASS too. He was an unbelievable fighter. Inspired me to take up kung fu, and here I am, at a Toshindaibukai myself twelve years later."
"That's partly why we first became friends," Subaru explained. "He found out I was Eiji's brother, and he practically fell at my feet in worship." He smirked proudly. "After all, we Shinjos are the best fighters."
Rook snorted. "Give me a break, I did NOT worship you! And you haven't seen me fight recently, so don't count me out..."
As the two started into yet another friendly argument, Naru was silent, deep in thought. Finally, she asked Rook, "Did...did you ever see a blonde man with him? About the same age?"
Rook paused and thought for a moment on this. "Nope, can't say I remember if I did. Why?"
"Oh." She looked a little downcast. "No reason."
"Naru..." Subaru said gently, laying a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head, smiling. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Hey guys, come on, it'll be 7:00 soon. We have to get our asses to this tournament opening."
Rook rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Well then, kids, let's go attend this Toshindaibukai, shall we?"

***************

"Well, guys, we made it!" Fen announced, plopping himself down in the seat next to Puella and placing a nervous Wolfy in his lap. "Here at the Toshindaibukai, and I'm totally psyched! How `bout you two?"
Puella made the victory sign. "I'm ready and can't wait to get started!"
"Yes, this will prove to be...interesting, to say the least," Lancelot said, nodding and surveying the scene around him. The three young fighters were seated in the stands of the hotel's main battle arena, ready for the opening ceremony. And the place was PACKED -- there was hardly an empty seat in the crowded stands, teeming with fans, the media and fellow fighters. Puella noticed Lancelot scanning the crowd, and she joined in for a bit. "You see anyone you know out there, Lan-chan? Any of your old opponents?"
"Huh?" He seemed to be taken off-guard by her question, but he shook his head. "No, no one that I've fought before. But it's hard to tell who are the fighters, and who aren't..."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Fen added in. "I wonder how many others are in the tourney, besides us...?"
Puella leaned back in her seat, nodding to herself. "Well, we'll find out soon enough. I hope we aren't fighting first thing tomorrow-"
Suddenly, Lancelot's breath caught in his throat noticeably, and Puella looked over at him in concern. "What, Lan-chan? What is it?" He didn't reply, and she followed his gaze across and down the aisles to a girl. A tall, pretty teenage girl with with long blonde ponytails making her way to an empty seat in the stands -- in-between the two guys Puella had seen earlier that day in the lobby. The boy! It's him!
Sure enough, he was there as well. Forgetting Lancelot and the girl, Puella squirmed to be able to see the boy better, and watched him for a bit. She tried to catch their conversation for a minute, but although they weren't sitting that far away, the general noisiness of the crowd made it almost impossible to try and hear what they were saying to each other. The boy looked up and saw the blonde girl, then smiled and said something to her. She nodded back in reply, sitting down between him and the blue-haired man, who poked her and laughed. The boy reached over and tried to hit the man on the back of the head, succeeding, and smirked happily. The two guys had an exchange of words for a while, obviously a good bit of teasing, before the girl leaned between them and separated their little joking spat. The three settled back, getting ready for the ceremony. Puella then remembered the look on Lancelot's face when he saw the girl, and turned back to regard him again -- he was still watching her, as avidly as Puella was just watching the spiky-haired boy. Puella's gaze focused on the back of the girl's head.
She must be the third -- they ARE a team, then. But...how does Lan-chan know her? Puella nearly gasped then, seeing the look on Lancelot's face and suddenly coming to a key realization. Could she be the girl who...??
Puella made a mental note to keep an eye on that team during the opening -- especially the boy, who was intriguing her to no end. She could still feel that same power, radiating off him...
Well, I'll just have to ask him about his power myself. So I have to see if I can meet him, sooner or later. She cast a glance to the battle arena below. And hopefully, it won't be out there...
Just as she thought this, the lights went down and the crowd came to a hush as a beautiful tuxedoed woman stepped out onto the arena, illuminated by a single spotlight. She flashed a blinding smile at the audience, and raised a microphone to her red-painted lips.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, fighters and fight fans, to the 2006 Toshindaibukai tournament!!"
The crowd roared its approval.
"The Toshindaibukai is a fighting tournament featuring only the top weaponry masters from around the world, and we're pleased to announce that some of the very best will be showcased in our tournament! You are all sure to see some spectacular fights during the duration of the Toshindaibukai. We have invited numerous teams of three to compete in a full elimination tournament, in which the winners advance to what will be the championships. The fights are one-on-one, and every member on the team shall fight only once. The team with the most eliminated fighters loses, and the other team goes on to attempt to win the Toshindaibukai!"
The audience cheered some more at this, and the woman beamed. "The first main arena fight will take place tomorrow morning, and it shall be between the team consisting of Miyabi, Genma and Bang-Boo..."
A murmur ran through the crowd; apparently these fighters weren't that well known. Puella glanced at the boy and his teammates, to see how they reacted, and noticed that they were discussing something among themselves that she couldn't hear.
"...And the team consisting of Rook Castle, Naru Amoh, and Subaru Shinjo."
The three snapped to attention, then exchanged looks that Puella could clearly read -- and she knew that the team that had just been announced was THEM. Watching the three of them in what looked like a panicked conversation, Puella's mind was racing. So they're fighting tomorrow morning...Rook, Naru and Subaru. Subaru and Naru are Japanese names, but Naru's feminine, so the boy's name is Subaru...
"She'll be fighting tomorrow..." she heard Lancelot mumble, and Puella turned to Lancelot. "Lan-chan, you know that girl, don't you?"
"Oh, um..." Lancelot's face turned a bit red at the cheeks. "Well, you see...she's..."
"Your girlfriend?" said Fen, elbowing Lancelot with a grin. Lancelot shook his head, his eyes cast down to his feet and his face flaming an even brighter red. "No, she - Naru - was one of my former opponents."
"And she's the one that beat you, isn't she?" asked Puella.
"Yes. It was her. That's why I'm here...to find her again."
"Oh...I see." Puella was quiet, watching her friend stare at Naru, and then she spoke up brightly. "Well, we'll just have to go see this fight tomorrow. I want to see how good they are, and I'm sure you'll want to see Naru fight again, Lan-chan..."
Lancelot barely tore his eyes away from Naru. "I-I suppose so."
Back on the arena floor, the announcer was continuing her speech. "The rest of the fights shall be announced accordingly over the arena loudspeakers. Battles will take place in this main arena, and the two outdoor ones behind the hotel -- there is a map of the tournament grounds situated in all the hotel rooms. This concludes the opening of the Toshindaibukai, and we wish all the competitors good luck in the tournament!"
The crowd gave its biggest pop so far, and the rest of the lights came back on. People got up and jostled their way out of their seats, filing out of the main arena through the doors on the bottom floor. Puella debated whether or not to talk to the three now, but decided against it. She didn't know how friendly they'd be to a fellow team, although they all looked nice enough...
"Man!" Fen said, tucking his hands behind his head. "This is gonna be GREAT! Kinda nuts, yeah, but I can't wait to get out there and show my stuff! I wonder when OUR first fight is?"
Lancelot, who had lost sight of Naru in the mob, answered, "It'll most likely be announced tomorrow sometime. And I plan on attending the first match, definitely -- how about you two?"
Fen shrugged. "If you two go, we will. Right, Wolfy?" Wolfy, who was doing his best to avoid the feet of the crowd, grunted in reply. Puella nodded. "I'm going to go. So, it looks like it's settled -- we go see this fight tomorrow!"
And she looked over through the crowd, catching a brief glimpse of the three fighters she had been watching...and the boy, Subaru Shinjo.
Until tomorrow, then...


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