War and Defeat
The Story of Captain Sagara
By Garden Goddess
Garden Goddess Tales © 2003
Description: Captain Sagara was the influence of Sanosuke, the fearless leader of the Seiki Hotai and prey of the imperialist government. But who is the real Captain Sagara and how exactly did he achieve his position? This is the story of Captain Sagara, a tale of love, hate, friendship, death... and especially, war.
Author's Notes:
Hello all, Garden Goddess here, I'm sure you have all noticed some BIG changes in my stories. I've removed a majority of them, leaving this one and two others. I have done this for many reasons, the biggest concerning the concentration of writing chapters for them all. It gets VERY confusing so I've decided to take the others down for now and concentrate on the two biggest ones. Rest assured, the other stories will make a come back, as soon as my two main stories have been completed.
Now about this story.... I suddenly came up with an idea while watching Rurouni Kenshin on Cartoon Network to write the entire life of Captain Sagara from before he became the leader of the Seiki Hotai (Sp?) to the unsettling sacrifice of his death. I decided to do this for two reasons. One, the show isn't really clear about this man that lead the Seiki Hotai and how he was such a large influence on Sanosuke and two, I thought it would be interesting to write a story about his life. I will warn you all that I haven't seen the full series of Rurouni Kenshin. I have only seen as far as Cartoon Network as put up so if they reveal his storyline later on in the show, than forgive me. If they do reveal more about him, than just consider this an alternate universe, but to warn you all, all the events in this story are not found in the show. These are merely my own creations. I also do not know the first name of the Captain so I came up with my own name for him. If he does have a first name, I apologize. I'm not really big on the show - I do like it but I don't have access to all the videos and such. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. All reviews are welcome as long as the criticism is not too extreme. I wish to be criticized in a way that helps me improve not make me want to cease writing all together.
Anyways, on with the story!
Disclaimer: All characters in this story, such as Sanosuke and Captain Sagara, are not mine! I only own those that I will disclose in parentheses that I myself created.
Chapter Summary: The young man known as Souzo Sagara happens upon a fight in a bar and meets a mysterious silver haired man and a young boy.
Prologue: A boy becomes a man......
Souzo Sagara closed his school book in annoyance as the young woman beside him constantly let out a soft giggle that filled the silence of the room. His swept blue hair brushed his eyes playfully as he finally turned to the girl, his expression one of grim irritation. He was a year her senior but she looked alot older than he himself portrayed. She was sitting on a futon, an array of comic books spread before, her soft red hair cascading down the softness of her shoulders as her body let out another wave of giggles. It's red shine was half swept into a bright blue clip, leaving two small strands to dance around the softness of her cheeks. A comic book was held between her small yet delicate hands, her bright blue eyes glued to the current page. He let out a deep sigh as she laughed again, louder this time, her body shaking with the impact of her amusement. He had finals to worry about and she had done nothing but distract him from his studies since the moment she had stepped into his shack.
"Martina," He said sternly, trying not to sound too harsh,"I cannot study when your constant laughter echoes throughout the room." (A/N: Martina is indeed my character.)
The beautiful red head let the comic book slip from her hands as she raised her gaze to his,"Sou, you have been studying all day! Can you not cease for a moment? Come read these, they are quite amusing!"
Souzo sighed and shook his head grudgedly,"I cannot. I do not have the time for this."
He slowly stood, exposing his full form to her as he slowly crossed the room and gathered the comic books into his arms. Her eyes ran over the soft tuft of blue hair that graced his head. His bangs always hung loosely into his face, concealing his left eye and always seemed to give him a mysterious physique. He slowly lifted the comic books from the futon, making sure to pick up the one she had left at her knees, than turned to place them in the book shelf she had taken them from earlier. He was dressed rather oddly, his body concealed in a dark blue swordsman gi that hugged his body rather comfortably. The odd accessory was the coat flung over his gi, which hung loosely around him toward the crook of his elbows, merely covering only his upper chest. She eyed him wearily as he turned to her again, holding his hand out, encouraging her to take it.
"I think maybe you should come over some other time, Martina," He smiled warmly,"Please excuse my rudeness, but I must study."
She sighed and pushed her red hair behind her shoulders, placing her hand into his,"Studying will be the death of you, Sagara."
He chuckled softly as he slowly raised her to her feet, her slender figure coming about an inch below his chin,"If it must, than it shall be!"
Once she was on her feet again she elbowed him playfully,"Than I assume all those comic books shall be left to none other than yours truly, ne?"
She was blessed with another one of his husky chuckles,"I assure you that all of my books will be left to you."
"It's settled than," She mused as she suddenly stood on her tip toes to place a kiss upon his cheek, a gesture she had done since she was but a small child, "You can study in peace."
Souzo grinned and placed a firm arm around her waist,"We shall have plenty of time after my finals to fight. In the mean time, you should be training. I'm not so easily defeated, you know. I'm surprised you haven't inquired that already."
She removed his arm, a blush gracing her cheeks and crossed her arms in annoyance,"You think you're so tough, Sou!"
"I think for that I am," He said with a soft laugh at the sudden recoil from his touch.
The two had been friends since they were children and everytime they came too close, experienced any type of intimate contact, Martina quickly pulled away, embarassed and flustered. She knew he was seeing her in a new light now, considering she had left her awkward tom boy ways for a more womanly sophisticated look. She, on the other hand, was also quite aware of Souzo's manly, rugged features. She had often watched him as he studied, looking over the curve of his chin, the outline of his shoulders, and even the brightness of his crystal-like eyes.
Martina snorted,"I suppose I could do for some training. I have nothing better to do. I will see you tonight than. Ja!"
He watched her move gracefully toward his door, taking a step out into the warmth of the sun and soon disappeared from his view. He let out a satisfied sigh and returned to his former task, opening the book and swiftly returning to the page he had previously been content in mastering. He had attended school for some time now, determined to become a mastered doctor. He had studied everything from medicines, to diseases, to the old fashioned ways of relieving the common cold, and yet, he felt as though he wasn't attaining enough. An important test had fell upon him, the final test that would determine him a true doctorine. If he passed, he would become an assistant of a doctor in town until he gained enough experience to fully become one himself.
After staring at the page, he realized he had lost all of his concentration and closed the book, irritated. For some reason, he appeared to have more concentration when Martina had constantly laughed. He slowly rose from his floor and placed the book upon his desk, than turned to take a step outside, casting his gaze down the pathways trying to find Martina's retreating figure. He figured he could fight her now that he was tired of his constant studies, but failed in finding her. She must have already made her way to the temple, and now he was left with nothing to do.
He stepped outside fully, and slowly began to trudge down the street toward the market. The market was usually a bustle at this time in the afternoon and he'd be sure to find some way of entertaining himself. It wasn't long before he reached its outskirts and smirked when he saw a crowd had gathered outside a nearby bar. Which meant only one thing - a brawl.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
"Let go of me, you bully!"
A large man chuckled as he held the collar of a small brunette boy who struggled, constantly kicking and swinging his fists in an attempt to either break free or land a good hit.
"You got guts to steal from a man like me, kid!" The man bellowed in annoyance,"Now return the coins to me and I'll set you free!"
"No way!" The boy continued to struggle and managed to break free, landing on the floor quickly, and positioning himself into a fighting stance,"I'm not afraid of you!"
The man chuckled again, grabbing his large stomach at the force,"A brat like you? Do you honestly think you could take me? You're nothing but a mere - oof!"
No sooner had the man finished the sentence, the boy had kneed him strongly in the gut, knocking the wind out of the man and causing him to bow to his knees. The boy than stood confidently, his hands still raised in fighting stance, knowing the man would become angry at what he had just done.
"You will pay for that boy!"
"Go ahead!" The young boy challenged,"I'm not afraid of you! You're a smelly disgusting man!"
The large man suddenly grabbed the boy by his throat, catching him off guard and held him in the air. The boy pulled his arms up and constantly tried to loosen the man's grip on his throat but to no avail, he had only tightened his grip at the attempt. The boy could feel his breath dwindling and tried harder to break free, but the world was beginning to spin at the lack of oxygen his lungs were burning for.
"What's going on here?" A voice from afar spoke.
The large man turned to see a man standing in the doorway of the bar. The crowd had parted for him, revealing his sleek figure covered in a dark trench coat, a thin sword strapped to his belt and a grim expression sweeping over his face once his eyes lay upon the boy. The large man growled in anger and he faced the man fully, his body suddenly shaking from laughter.
"This boy here, he stole from me," The large man told the other,"I am merely teaching him that stealing leads to consequences."
The other man slowly stepped forward into the bar, revealing his silver colored long hair and dark green eyes. His hair was swept back into a small low ponytail, keeping a majority of his hair from his face except for the brustle of bangs that grazed the top of his green eyes that bore into the larger man's. He placed a hand upon the hilt of his sword as he looked unapprovingly at the man's grip on the boy.
"And you think this is a fit punishment?"
The large man frowned in anger,"This doesn't concern you boy! I suggest you stay aside!"
The silver haired man let his mouth fall into a frown,"You drunkard. This boy is merely trying to survive in these times of hardship. I'm sure you could allow him a few spare coins to buy a loaf of bread."
"A few coins?!" The large man bellowed in anger,"With those few coins, I could be buying another drink! I'm not going to waste it on some filthy boy!"
The silver haired man did not faulter,"Put him down."
"You don't tell me what to do!"
The other man slowly withdrew his sword and held it before him,"This is your last warning."
"You want to fight?!" The large man suddenly realized, dropping his grip on the boy and sending him to the floor in a heap,"Than come on, I'll teach you not to mess with me!"
As soon as the large man raised his fists, the other man took off with incredible speed, positioning his sword above him, than slowly casting it downward on the man's right shoulder suddenly turning it and using the blunt side of the blade to force the air of his impact down onto the bone. A large crack was heard and a boisterious roar burst from the large man as he raised his other hand to grip his injured shoulder. The silver haired man stood still at his landing, his sword still raised in position at the contact of the blade to his shoulder. He locked eyes with the man as his body shook as the pain rippled through him.
"I will ask you one last time," The man asked the other,"Let the boy go or I will use the true blade of this sword and cut through flesh."
The large man cowered backward,"Get away from me!"
The silver haired man suddenly smirked and quickly withdrew his sword and sheathed it, its appearance now hidden underneath the depths of his trench coat. He cast his eyes to the small figure of the boy and slowly approached him, placing his hands and slowly lifting the child into his arms. He slowly turned, casting his back to the large man.
"I suggest you seek attention for your shoulder," He said cooly,"Otherwise, you won't ever be able to use that arm again."
He than headed back outside the door of the bar, the boy's limp body in his arms as he approached the middle of the road. The crowd continued to part as he walked slowly, his nimble body fascinating everyone who had witnessed the silent beauty of his swordsmanship. He placed the boy onto the ground and placed a hand to his cheek, lightly tapping the child to return to consciousness. He continued to tap him lightly, applying more pressure when he achieved nothing but stopped when a groan eminated from the fragile body.
"Uhhhh... leave me alone...you bully.."
The silver haired man chuckled slightly as the boy's eyes fluttered open,"That man won't hurt you again, boy."
The boy examined the man, than looked downward to where his trenchcoat had parted, taking note of the sword. He suddenly reared backwards, cowering away from him frightened.
"Who...who... are you?!"
The man looked down to what had startled him and slowly stood, looking down at the boy,"I am afraid I have frightened you."
The man suddenly realized that everyone in the crowd had slowly returned to the large man's attention as he seeked help for his injured shoulder and looked back at the boy.
"What's your name boy?"
The boy slowly stood, his body shaking slightly from weariness.
"Sanosuke."
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Souzo stood in shock. As the others geered their attention to the larger man, he was too busy gawking at the silver haired man that had aided the boy. He had never seen such swordsmanship before - it had actually moved him. The slick handling, the swift movement the man demonstrated with the thin sword of his fascinated him. And furthermore, his kindness and honor to not kill had made him respect the man even farther. He slowly approached the two as they stood in the street, talking about the past events that had taken place. He listened in but did not dare to speak.
"He said you stole some pocket change from him."
The boy balled his fists suddenly,"He deserved it!"
The silver haired man laughed slightly,"Whether he deserved it or not, stealing is against the law. I suggest you do not do it again. If money is what you need, I can offer you some coins for food."
Not only was the man kind, he was generous. This fascinated Takashi even more as he inched closer, his eyes glued to where his sword hung around his belt. Its sheath was a glossed black, its handle of the finest metal. It looked as though he were a soldier, maybe a general even, in the imperialist army, but what would a soldier be doing in a town like this one?
"...boy?"
Souzo snapped out of his trance when he realized his hands were now upon the hilt of the man's sword. He blinked, not sure when he had gotten his hands on it or why he even held it between his hands now, but the silver haired man looked at him surprised - and angry.
"Did you hear me?!" He shouted,"Return that at once! It is not to be used by the looks of a boy like you!"
Souzo looked around him and realized the boy now stood behind him. The boy must have stolen the sword as swiftly as he had taken the other man's money and used him as an escape goat by handing him the sword, but the silver haired man's eyes were quicker and he knew the boy was the one who had stole it.
"It's so..." Souzo looked at it in fascination.
Souzo looked down at the sword and realized it was alot heavier than it looked. He slowly unsheathed it, its sheen sparkling as the sun hit it. This angered the silver haired man as he looked at both the boy and Souzo.
"Sanosuke," The silver man shouted,"Retrieve that sword from that man and return it at once! A sword is dangerous!"
Souzo suddenly decided to speak,"Forgive me, Sir! I did not intend to hold this from you, but its craftsmanship fascinated me, but I-"
"Your name boy."
He raised his eyebrow as the silver haired man walked to him, slowly taking the sword from him and returning it into its sheath and locking his gaze with him.
"Souzo. Souzo Sagara," He spoke mechanically,"If I may ask, Sir. Are you a soldier?"
"Heaven's no," The silver haired man said rather spitefully,"I am merely-"
The man paused to reach a hand out to grab the collar of the young boy as he tried to sneak off during their conversation. He held the boy tight than moved his grip down to the boy's arm, holding him in the air and restricting his movement. The boy thrashed wildly than soon gave up when he realized there was no escape - the man was too fast for him. Souzo looked on in amusement but fought his urge to chuckle.
"We will talk later," The silver haired man told the boy,"Be patient."
He than slowly returned his gaze to Souzo and picked up where he left off,"I am a swordsman my dear man and nothing more. I know I appear to be a soldier but that was quite some time ago."
Souzo nodded,"I see, my mistake Sir."
"You seem interested in my sword," The man said to him cooly,"Have you ever used one?"
"I am afraid not," Souzo said with a slight laugh,"I am a mere student of medicine, I've never once held a sword. I have fighting skills, but meager ones at that."
"Let me go!" The boy's struggled voice burst into the conversation as he attempted to break free again.
"Aren't you an unruly child?" The silver haired man inquired,"Have patience."
"I saw you earlier," Souzo said slowly,"I.. was... very impressed. You have great skill."
The silver haired man chuckled slightly,"I'm afraid I am a bit rusty, actually."
Souzo grinned widely,"I sure wish I could wield a sword as you do, but I'm afraid its unheard of for a doctor to use the skills of swordsmanship."
The man laughed harder at that comment than slowly said seriously,"Boy, if you are willing, I will teach you."
"But," Souzo said suprised,"We merely just met, Sir. I'm afraid I do not understand why you would take me in, for I am only a student."
The silver haired man laughed again,"Boy, you forget that I used to be a soldier! I have great detective skills. I have been searching for students to teach my skills onto - I'm afraid I have got to teach someone or my skills will go to waste. I was traveling through this town earlier the other day and came upon the fight you were having with that young red haired woman."
"Martina..." Souzo said softly in remembrance of the fight. He had gone easier on her, knowing she was weaker than him. He fought her constantly mainly because he was trying to show her how to fight as his father taught him, but she was so stubborn and only focused on the act of winning the fight than the actual skill of it.
"You showed great promise and skill," The silver haired man said than looked down at the boy he was holding in the air,"And this boy, could hold as a good student for yourself. I'm afraid he is quite stubborn though."
The boy, at the mention of himself, began to thrash again, determined to get free but to no avail. Both the men laughed at his attempt than slowly fell into silence.
"If I were to become your student," Souzo said softly,"I'd have to give up all that I had worked so hard for."
"Sometimes, it takes time before destiny happens upon you," The man told him suddenly,"But only you can make this decision. You may have as much time as you wish. If you have come to a decision, come to the temple by the south side of town. I will be waiting for you."
The man slowly lowered the boy to the ground and turned to him,"The same goes for you boy."
The boy crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue,"You're a big meany! Why would I wanna have you as a teacher!"
The silver haired man sighed than looked at him seriously,"To become stronger. Than men like the one you faced earlier, shall never hurt you."
The boy pondered this and shrugged,"I guess."
Souzo sweatdropped at the boy's flippant attitude. Hopefully, he wouldn't be this way if he were to be trained under his own guidance.
The silver haired man suddenly turned to him,"Remember what I said young man. I trust that you will make the right decision."
Souzo nodded and watched as the man suddenly began to walk away, his trench coat covering his dark figure. He took long strides, the wind blowing through his wild mane and back into Souzo.
'What shall I do?' His mind wondered,'I have wanted to become a doctor since I was a child, but fighting is something my father always urged me to study. What will become of me if I were to choose this path?'
Souzo knew this decision was going to be quite a difficult one.
End of Prologue