~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-------------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 7! Here we go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 7: Preparing for the Raid...
~Kazas Castle~
Princess Serena awakes in unfamiliar surroundings.
"Good to see you've finally awakened." a man's voice says.
Serena looks around to see, "Mamoru Chiba!" she says, "Why have you brought me here?"
"You are going to be my bride." the warlord says.
"I will NEVER marry you!" Serena states, "I don't love you!"
"Nevertheless." Mamoru says, "You will stay here, until you do agree to marry me!"
Serena turns away from the him, "You're wrong." she says, "Rei will come for me."
Mamoru turns to leave the room, "I'm sure she will." he responds, "My sister is very devoted." he leaves the room and the princess.
~Woods/Near Kazas~
Rei says, "We'll set up camp, here."
"Set up camp?" Makoto asks, "What about the Princess!?"
Rei turns to face the brunette and says, "We will rescue Serena. But, We need to be 100%! And, We need a plan."
Finally, Everyone agrees and they come up with a plan. After which... Makoto builds a camp-fire, Haruka finds a tree to practice and strenghten her punches on, and Minako decides to go ahead and get to sleep. Meanwhile, Rei goes to another part of the woods, not too far from the others. The raven-haired woman changes out of her Ronin-garb and puts on a pair of loose black cloth pants, she puts on a robe(like the one she has in the show) over that. She obtains a bucket-full of water from a nearby stream and carries it with her, back to where she has built a small fire of her own.
Rei sits the bucket down beside the fire and the bowl she used to mix the potion in earlier. The raven-haired woman sits down on her knees infront of the fire.
At the *camp*, Makoto decides to go check on the raven-haired warrior and Haruka goes too. When they reach where Rei is, the raven-haired woman takes out a string of ceremonial beads and wraps them, loosely, around her hands.
Makoto starts to say something to Rei but Haruka cuts her off, "Let her be." the tall-blonde whispers, "It's a ceremony... She wouldn't want to be disturbed. Let's just watch." Makoto nods and the two watch.
One at a time, Rei goes through the words: Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Sai, and Zen, and the hand-symbols that accompany them. She keeps her open left hand stationary infront of her(the fingers are clasped together) and wraps the rest of the beads, loosely, around it. With her right hand, Rei picks up the bowl and dips it into the water, she splashes the water onto her left shoulder. She dips the bowl back into the bucket and splashes water onto her right shoulder. Dipping the bowl a third time, Rei splashes water over her head. She lays the bowl down and takes the string of beads in both hands. Rei jerks the beads in both directions, breaking the string and scattering the beads everywhere.
Afterward, Rei stands up and undoes the bow holding the lower part of her robe on, and removes that part of the robe, revealing the black cloth pants she had put on earlier. Next, She slowly removes the top part. As the top part of the robe slides down Rei's back, Makoto and Haruka notice a large tattoo covering most of her back... a tattoo of a black raven. Rei slightly tenses her back muscles, causing the tattoo to take an almost eerie look, then relaxes them and picks up a black cloth shirt(like the pants). She puts on the shirt, frees her long hair from inside it, and picks up two leather-like gauntlets, which she puts on her arms... she ties the strings on the gauntlets, around her wrists and elbows. Rei ties the strings on her pants, around her knees and ankles. She slips on a pair of thin sandles and ties a black cloth belt around her waist. By the time Rei finishes this, the heat from the fire has mostly dried her hair.
Makoto and Haruka continue to watch, as Rei places her palms together infront of her and bows her head slightly, closing her eyes(like in a type of prayer).
'I'm sorry, Sensei.' Rei says, in her mind, 'You were like a father to my brother and I. And, I know you would have preferred me to continue on the path of a Ronin but, I've fallen in love. To rescue her, I must allow myself to return to the shadows. I must, again, walk as a Ninja.'
After that, Rei picks up her wakizashi and places it inside her belt, on the left side of her waist. She places her katana on her back, held in place by the strap on the scabbard(solid sheath), and collects several small weapons: Shurikens, Kunai, Kozuka, and small spikes. Finally, She places two Sai in the front of her belt. Once she's finished with that, she fixes her long raven-hair back into a ponytail and grabs one more piece of black cloth.
"Ready to go?" she asks Haruka and Makoto, without turning around.
"Uh, Y-yeah." replies Makoto, slightly shocked that Rei knew they were there.
"We are." adds Haruka, a little less surprised than Makoto.
"Well then." she says, turning to face them, "Let's wake Minako and get going." Haruka and Makoto both nod.
After waking Minako...
"Why the outfit-change?" Minako asks Rei.
"I'm convinced that a Ninja was responsible for kidnapping the Princess." Rei says, "And, The only thing that can defeat a Ninja, is another Ninja."
"But--" Minako stsrts. Makoto cuts her off, "We don't have time to talk about it. We have to get going."
"She's right." Rei says, "We've got to save Serena." Minako nods.
The four leave toward the castle. Once they reach the outer wall of the castle, Rei says, "We will split up. You three go toward the front gate and I will find another way in." Rei puts the last piece of black cloth, which is a mask, on over her face.
"Got it." Haruka says.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" asks Makoto.
"......" Rei says nothing in response but, nods *yes*. The raven-haired Ninja turns away from the three and runs off in a direction.
"That was a bit rude." Makoto says.
"Not really." Haruka informs, her arms folded, "She's a Ninja, a warrior who lives in the shadows and silence. Once the mask is put on, a Ninja won't speak until it comes off."
"I see." the brunette responds.
"Well, We should get started." adds Minako. The other two nod and the three of them head toward the *front-door*.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----------------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Be Continued...
Okay, So I didn't get to the raid on Mamoru's castle in this one. But hey, These preparations were important. And, The *ceremony* that Rei went through is the same as Ninja did, when preparing for a *job* or mission. I've done extensive research into the background of Ninja... In fact, I've been obsessed with them most of my life so, you can accept this part of the fic for accuracy. I'll be back next time with the raid. See ya then.
Chapter 7! Here we go!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 7: Preparing for the Raid...
~Kazas Castle~
Princess Serena awakes in unfamiliar surroundings.
"Good to see you've finally awakened." a man's voice says.
Serena looks around to see, "Mamoru Chiba!" she says, "Why have you brought me here?"
"You are going to be my bride." the warlord says.
"I will NEVER marry you!" Serena states, "I don't love you!"
"Nevertheless." Mamoru says, "You will stay here, until you do agree to marry me!"
Serena turns away from the him, "You're wrong." she says, "Rei will come for me."
Mamoru turns to leave the room, "I'm sure she will." he responds, "My sister is very devoted." he leaves the room and the princess.
~Woods/Near Kazas~
Rei says, "We'll set up camp, here."
"Set up camp?" Makoto asks, "What about the Princess!?"
Rei turns to face the brunette and says, "We will rescue Serena. But, We need to be 100%! And, We need a plan."
Finally, Everyone agrees and they come up with a plan. After which... Makoto builds a camp-fire, Haruka finds a tree to practice and strenghten her punches on, and Minako decides to go ahead and get to sleep. Meanwhile, Rei goes to another part of the woods, not too far from the others. The raven-haired woman changes out of her Ronin-garb and puts on a pair of loose black cloth pants, she puts on a robe(like the one she has in the show) over that. She obtains a bucket-full of water from a nearby stream and carries it with her, back to where she has built a small fire of her own.
Rei sits the bucket down beside the fire and the bowl she used to mix the potion in earlier. The raven-haired woman sits down on her knees infront of the fire.
At the *camp*, Makoto decides to go check on the raven-haired warrior and Haruka goes too. When they reach where Rei is, the raven-haired woman takes out a string of ceremonial beads and wraps them, loosely, around her hands.
Makoto starts to say something to Rei but Haruka cuts her off, "Let her be." the tall-blonde whispers, "It's a ceremony... She wouldn't want to be disturbed. Let's just watch." Makoto nods and the two watch.
One at a time, Rei goes through the words: Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Sai, and Zen, and the hand-symbols that accompany them. She keeps her open left hand stationary infront of her(the fingers are clasped together) and wraps the rest of the beads, loosely, around it. With her right hand, Rei picks up the bowl and dips it into the water, she splashes the water onto her left shoulder. She dips the bowl back into the bucket and splashes water onto her right shoulder. Dipping the bowl a third time, Rei splashes water over her head. She lays the bowl down and takes the string of beads in both hands. Rei jerks the beads in both directions, breaking the string and scattering the beads everywhere.
Afterward, Rei stands up and undoes the bow holding the lower part of her robe on, and removes that part of the robe, revealing the black cloth pants she had put on earlier. Next, She slowly removes the top part. As the top part of the robe slides down Rei's back, Makoto and Haruka notice a large tattoo covering most of her back... a tattoo of a black raven. Rei slightly tenses her back muscles, causing the tattoo to take an almost eerie look, then relaxes them and picks up a black cloth shirt(like the pants). She puts on the shirt, frees her long hair from inside it, and picks up two leather-like gauntlets, which she puts on her arms... she ties the strings on the gauntlets, around her wrists and elbows. Rei ties the strings on her pants, around her knees and ankles. She slips on a pair of thin sandles and ties a black cloth belt around her waist. By the time Rei finishes this, the heat from the fire has mostly dried her hair.
Makoto and Haruka continue to watch, as Rei places her palms together infront of her and bows her head slightly, closing her eyes(like in a type of prayer).
'I'm sorry, Sensei.' Rei says, in her mind, 'You were like a father to my brother and I. And, I know you would have preferred me to continue on the path of a Ronin but, I've fallen in love. To rescue her, I must allow myself to return to the shadows. I must, again, walk as a Ninja.'
After that, Rei picks up her wakizashi and places it inside her belt, on the left side of her waist. She places her katana on her back, held in place by the strap on the scabbard(solid sheath), and collects several small weapons: Shurikens, Kunai, Kozuka, and small spikes. Finally, She places two Sai in the front of her belt. Once she's finished with that, she fixes her long raven-hair back into a ponytail and grabs one more piece of black cloth.
"Ready to go?" she asks Haruka and Makoto, without turning around.
"Uh, Y-yeah." replies Makoto, slightly shocked that Rei knew they were there.
"We are." adds Haruka, a little less surprised than Makoto.
"Well then." she says, turning to face them, "Let's wake Minako and get going." Haruka and Makoto both nod.
After waking Minako...
"Why the outfit-change?" Minako asks Rei.
"I'm convinced that a Ninja was responsible for kidnapping the Princess." Rei says, "And, The only thing that can defeat a Ninja, is another Ninja."
"But--" Minako stsrts. Makoto cuts her off, "We don't have time to talk about it. We have to get going."
"She's right." Rei says, "We've got to save Serena." Minako nods.
The four leave toward the castle. Once they reach the outer wall of the castle, Rei says, "We will split up. You three go toward the front gate and I will find another way in." Rei puts the last piece of black cloth, which is a mask, on over her face.
"Got it." Haruka says.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" asks Makoto.
"......" Rei says nothing in response but, nods *yes*. The raven-haired Ninja turns away from the three and runs off in a direction.
"That was a bit rude." Makoto says.
"Not really." Haruka informs, her arms folded, "She's a Ninja, a warrior who lives in the shadows and silence. Once the mask is put on, a Ninja won't speak until it comes off."
"I see." the brunette responds.
"Well, We should get started." adds Minako. The other two nod and the three of them head toward the *front-door*.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~----------------------------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Be Continued...
Okay, So I didn't get to the raid on Mamoru's castle in this one. But hey, These preparations were important. And, The *ceremony* that Rei went through is the same as Ninja did, when preparing for a *job* or mission. I've done extensive research into the background of Ninja... In fact, I've been obsessed with them most of my life so, you can accept this part of the fic for accuracy. I'll be back next time with the raid. See ya then.