Haizan & Toreeningu
The red sun hung above the town as a traveler walked out of the majestic gates of Jade Oukyuu. The palace towered over the town, watching and guarding its people from invaders. But this time, not even the emperor's finest army could prepare for the wraith of Oni. The traveler paced on the dirt road, remembering the conversation he and Emperor Tama had.
~~~~
"So, are you the Jinketsu of
Taimu? The famed savior of Hyrule and
Termina?"
"Yes. I have come because of this demon that has
been plaguing your kingdom. If I may
have your permission, I shall seal him back from the world in which he came."
The emperor pondered at this
young boy's determination. This boy is
willing to sacrifice his life for others. A true hero, yes, but Oni was much more powerful than he knew. The sacrifice would mean nothing. "I admire your giyuu, brave one. But there is much you do not know about this
enemy. Ever since the cave that has
sealed Oni for so long has been opened, my army has struggled to contain
him. What makes you so confident that
you can do what Japan's highly trained army can't?"
"I have the courage, and twice
I have faced overwhelming evils. I feel
I am ready."
"Well, it's obvious I cannot
stop you. But I can tell you this:
there is an old man that knows much about Oni. If you value your life, it is best you go to him."
~~~~
Link thought hard about what he had to do. There wasn't much time left as the sky turned from blue to crimson. Link sighed as he made his way to the streets of the city. Who was this old man? What help could he possibly be? The twilight faded into view as Link stood, marveling at the wonders above him. He failed to notice a slender shadow, watching his every move.
~~~~
"Who are you? Why am I here?" the frightened woman sat on
the cold ground. She could hear many
disembodied voices muttering cursed incantations. The shadows in the room diverged into one, creating the fearsome
figure before her.
"Pardon my rudeness. I am Oni Ryuujin, the demon king of the dragons. And I have much use for one such as
yourself." The voices grew louder as
wisps of energy surrounded the helpless prisoner.
"What do you mean? What do you want with me?" the energy flew
tighter and tighter as she felt the icy chill of energy.
"You have something I have
never seen before. Your spirit is full
of an aura. Such aura possesses power
in which will come in use for me." The
energy suddenly jolted and forced itself into the woman's body. Her desperate screams were drowned out by
the voices filling the cavern. Soon
enough, the screams subsided and her limp body fell to the floor. Oni raised his hand in the air and the body
before him was blanketed by an unearthly glow. "Arise, Mitsukai. You shall be
my servant."
Called by her new name, the
woman stood up. "I am at your service,
master."
~~~~
I will fulfill your bidding. He will perish. Link heard a rustling coming from above. He whirled around to see a sleek shadow standing on the tips of a rooftop. Before he could blink, the shadow swiftly leaped from the roof to the streets below. Link squinted as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Before him was a woman dressed in a small cut kimono that draped over her slender body. Tattoo like markings wrapped around her arms and two large bracelets completely covered her wrists. Her legs were fully exposed, showing off only a pair of extremely light oriental shoes and a dagger worn on her thigh. The moonlight glittered on her short pale hair and danced off the steel of her katana. Two small daggers served as hair decorations and a dark cloth wrapped around her face, showing only her icy stare. She possessed breathtaking yet frightening beauty. Link looked at her with awe and hostility. "I am Mitsukai, an assassin of the Oni. I have been sent to eliminate you." Link's guard suddenly jumped as he quickly reached for his hilt. Mitsukai drew her katana, ready to duel with her opponent. "It is customary for duelers to state their names before engaging in combat. I have already given you my name, now you must do the same."
Link looked at the ninja with surprise. He was used to an enemy just jumping at him before he can even think. This was going to be interesting. "I am Link, the Hero of Time and protector of Hyrule. I accept your challenge." Almost immediately, the blades clashed, and the duel was on.
Link swung his sword furiously hoping for an opening, but Mitsukai seemed to always be one step ahead of him. Her katana struck the Master Sword hundreds of times, causing Link to back into the door of a dojo. Mitsukai positioned her blade above her head and slashed, only to have Link dodge the attack and slice a gap into the wall. Before Link could react, Mitsukai struck him and sent him flying into the interior of the building. Link landed harshly onto the floor and woke up dazed. He gripped his aching head and saw Mitsukai standing in front of him, posing for another attack. She was good, but he wasn't going to be beaten. Link staggered upwards and swung his sword in full force, locking it with the ninja's blade. The two struggled for what seemed like an eternity until finally, Link freed his sword and threw the katana to the floor. "It looks like the tables have turned. I guess I've won."
Mitsukai took a few steps backwards before flipping onto the walls. She ran alongside the walls and threw her two hair daggers at her opponent, defying gravity itself before landing behind Link and kicking him with amazing speed. Link didn't have time to react as he felt his back break in several vital places. Link turned around and lunged forward as Mitsukai twirled into the air. She seemed to hover in midair for several seconds before landing onto Link's shoulders and gripping his neck with her knees. In one swift motion, Mitsukai flipped backward, causing her legs to throw Link through a wall and back onto the streets. Link tried to get up, but Mitsukai spun around once and threw a powerful kick, completely knocking him unconscious.
Link's body laid on the cold, hard street. His pride, beaten. Mitsukai stood above him, her recovered katana pointing downward toward his neck. One swift thrust, and her mission will be complete. The point of the blade rose several feet, and came whistling down.
No! The tip of the blade shuddered and halted a hair away from Link. Don't kill him! Mitsukai shook her head. Her mind was playing tricks with her. Is this a flicker of my memory? It can't be. Mitsukai lifted the blade and looked at the beaten body. There was something about him that she admired. It would be fun to challenge him again. "Your courage and determination are like a true warrior. I'll let you live for now, but remember that your honor has been destroyed. The next time we meet, omae o korosu." The ninja back flipped once and ran off, disappearing into the night.
~*~
Darkness. That was the only thing Link could see after that encounter with that ninja woman. He couldn't believe that he, the hero of time, was so easily beaten. Who was she? Why was she after me? Whoever she was, Link was not going to forget her. The way she fought seemed graceful and effortless, as if it was nothing more than dancing. Never in his life has he seen such speed and agility. He didn't even know if she was even human. Slowly, Link opened his eyes, which were blurred from the fight. He found himself lying in a bed and his wounds bandaged. A woman walked in carrying some medicine when she noticed the patient was awake. "Ay! Kanja sameru!" Link looked at the woman, who immediately ran out the door. Probably getting the person who brought him here. Shrugging, Link found his cleaned clothes on the floor beside him and dressed. As he walked outside, he saw an aging man standing in front of him.
"I see you are awake." Link realized this was the man that brought him in and thanked him. "You were lucky I found you, else you would've rotted in the streets." The old man tapped his staff against Link's body and then sighed, "You still have much to learn here. You must have been up against a ninja, and lived. Not bad, for a biginaa."
Link glared at the man as he walked outside. Me?! A beginner?! What?! Link ran up to the man and demanded an explanation. "And what do you mean by that?! I am the Hero of Time! I have faced many beasts and demons before and I don't see why…"
"Ah yes, the savior of Hyrule. I've heard it all before. However, there is still much more to being a hero than slaying monsters."
"Even I know that! I know that it takes a kind heart and courage…"
"…And skill, which you lack." The old man continued to walk, leaving Link shocked at his comment. "If you wish to learn more, you are more than welcome to follow me."
Link followed the old man, hiking up an unleveled path that led straight to the mountain. Over time, Link started to wheeze for air because of the hike, but the old man didn't even have a bead of sweat. What was up with this guy? "So Mr.…um…what is your name?"
"You may call me Gounomono. What do you ask of me, young one?"
"Right. Gounomono, what do you mean when you say I lack skill?"
The old man thrust his staff into the ground and turned to answer the query. "My boy, you are the most courageous warrior I have ever seen. However, you do not think clearly of your actions. Quite often you charge headfirst into combat without any second thoughts, am I correct?" Link stared at Gounomono. He perfectly described every sparring match he had ever had with an enemy. "You are young and you still have much to learn. I know about you more than you think, Link-san."
Link was surprised that the old man knew his name. "What else do you know about me?"
Gounomono continued to walk as he revealed more information about Link. "There is much your body tells to me, so you already give me plenty of information. You were abandoned by your mother in a forest of some sort; that I can see in the clothes you wear. You must be the Hero of Time and you are a skilled fighter; that I can tell from the holy energy of your blade and your spirit. I sense much courage and rage coming from your soul, which means that you have come here to conquer the demon and save someone close to your heart. Need I say more?" Link was speechless. "Good. I must warn you, however, that you are in way over your head. The Oni will only blow you away if you try to challenge him. Tell me. Those medallions you possess, do you know what they can do?"
Link was about to answer that, but then he realized something. He never actually knew of the power of the Sage Medallions. All it did for him was create a bridge to Ganon's castle, but there had to be more to it than that. "Ok, perhaps I do have something to learn. Very well then, teach me."
Gounomono continued walking, pleased with the boy's response. "You must be that young man the Emperor told me about. Well, apparently he was right when he said you have much to learn. Come. We are almost there." The old man walked for a few moments before approaching foliage. When he pushed it back, it unveiled a small shrine with a massive and beautiful landscape. Every one of the elements was well represented in the back of the shrine. Link was awestruck. "This is my home, Tenkou Shrine. They say that the best place to build a shrine is where most of nature can greet you. Before you can fight the Oni, you must learn our own ways of dealing with demons. Your sword is powerful, but I know much more on what you can do." Gounomono saw Link's cocky look of disbelief. "If you don't believe me, then I shall prove it. Strike me."
Link could believe what he asked him to do. "Strike you? With my sword? I couldn't do that, I'll kill you for sure!" The old man insisted, and Link finally gave in. "Ok, if it is what you want…LOOK OUT!" Link held his sword up high and swung it directly at the old man…only to strike the earth in front of him. What the…Link turned around and saw Gounomono standing right behind him. How can an old man be so fast?
"Was that your best?" the old man taunted, "Strike me again. This time I'll stand still. Link swung the Master Sword again in full force while Gounomono stood there. The old man effortlessly blocked the attack with his staff. Every time Link struck, Gounomono always blocked him until Link finally dropped his sword. "You see? Do not underestimate your opponent."
Link got up as the old man walked inside. This training was going to be tougher than he thought.