HEY GUYS

SO I JUST DISCOVERED KOMI CANT COMMUNICATE AND I LOVE IT.

AND I RECENTLY FINISHED GHOST OF TSUSHIMA AND ALSO LOVED IT.

AND MY MIND DID THIS.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK

SHOULD I LET IT DIE HERE OR WHAT?


Honour.

Virtue.

Service.

Tradition.

These pillars formed the foundation of the Samurai's code.

Skilled warriors who had been trained and commissioned to give their all for their country, it's loyal citizens and most importantly, the Shogun.

And even though the isle of Tsushima was not physically connected to the mainland, the island was rich with historical tales of legendary samurai who either stood against threats whether external or internal.

Tsushima's lengthy period of peace and prosperity could be directly attributed to the dedicated work of the Samurai and the faithful clan that had held the seat of administrative power for as long as anyone could remember.

The proud and prestigious Clan Komi.

However things were changing...

A new enemy had appeared.

A challenge that neither the Komi bloodline nor the valiant Samurai seemed prepared to handle...


Shouko Komi listened intently as the various clan heads shared their concerns, opinions and complaints with the island's Jito.

Her father, Masayoshi Komi.

Ever since he had inherited the post from Shouko's grandfather, the man had worked tirelessly to ensure that each major clan felt involved in the island's development and future.

And even though the final decisions were always left to his or the Shogun's discretion, he always ensured that the clans had an opportunity to state their case.

As Lord Komi's firstborn she was required to be in attendance for such a meeting. There was a possibility that she would one day be Jito and she needed to have first hand experience with dealing with certain situations.

Her hands shook with worry at the thought.

Her?

The Jito?

Of the whole island?

Hopefully in time the island's leaders would see that it would be more fitting to have the title given to someone more qualified.

It was not that Komi did not wish to serve her home, she loved the island and it's faithful citizens.

But being the Jito required you to...

talk to people.

And Shouko was horrible at communicating.

Her family members and a few of the castle's servants were the only ones who even knew what her voice sounded like.

Whenever she tried to talk to anyone else, her words would come out as jumbled sounds or not come out at all.

The embarrassment frustrated her to no end and the inability to verbally express herself had given some of the other clans and the common folk a strange perception of her.

"The Ice Faced Princess of Clan Komi."

Shouko mentally groaned whenever the nickname came to mind. The island's residents seemed to be split between two opinions.

One side believed that Shouko was just the strong silent type that intended to rule the island with an iron fist and unwavering authority.

The other side believed that Shouko was just a spoiled little girl who didn't talk to anyone because she felt that everyone outside of the Komi bloodline was beneath her.

Sometimes she wished things could be different but what or who could even make that happen...

A Clan leader's desperate plea broke Shouko's train of thought and brought all of her attention back to the meeting.

"Please Lord Komi, tell us that their is a plan to deal with the Mongols attacking our land!"

Shouko resisted the urge to bite her lip, her grandmother had continuously told her that the habit was inappropriate especially in a forum such as this.

The Mongols had begun their invasion of Tsushima four months ago, and they had proven themselves to be a terrifying opponent to face.

Their weapons.

Their soldiers.

Their methods.

All brutal, exacting and ruthless.

And even though the Samurai warriors of Tsushima could boast of minor victories against the invaders, the Mongols seemed to be taking over the island, town by town, territory by territory.

Lord Komi raised his hand and the whole chamber went silent.

The man was known to be soft spoken, so all who were on attendance knew it was time to hold their peace, so the Jito's decrees and answers could be heard.

"I have listened my brothers and sisters, we have all suffered by the hands of these brutes. We have lost friends, family members...loyal soldiers and innocent civilians but our faithful Samurai have no intention of backing down from this threat! They will stand and overcome this enemy!"

There was a sense of peace in the room, the Jito was calm and reserved but his words stirred up a fire of belief in the hearts of those present.

The leader of Clan Yamai spoke next.

"My Lord, how goes our attempts to contact the Shogun for reinforcements?"

Lord Komi sighed but maintained his positive posture.

"The Mongols control the seas...for now but I am currently working on a solution. Some of the details of my plan are sensitive and I would only ask that you trust me to put into effect."

The clan heads nodded in agreement.

Clan Onemine's representative added their own commentary.

"It has...come to our attention that the Yagata Farmstead has been...freed of Mongol occupation."

Lord Komi smiled.

"That is excellent news! What are the names of the brave warriors that accomplished this? We shall honour them !"

Shouko heartily agreed. The Yagata Farmstead was a very important one to Tsushima's agricultural infrastructure. The news of it's capture by Mongol forces several weeks ago was met with melancholy and great worry.

The representative gulped.

"Ah...well...the surviving farmers claimed that they were rescued...by the Ghost."

Somehow the already silent room became quieter.

Lord Komi's smile disappeared.

"I...see."

Shouko's eyes widened.

The Ghost...

The rumours had started three months ago.

A man...a demon...the vengeful spirit of a fallen warrior.

Murdering.

Slaughtering.

Decimating the Mongolian forces at every turn.

He was immortal, untouchable and undefeated.

At first, the rumours were seen as just stories and folklore but with each progressing day more and more people would come to the town of Itan with new stories of the masked warrior that rescued them from Mongolian captivity.

Each tale had their own sense of exaggeration but it was getting harder and harder for her father to dismiss the stories of the Ghost as just stories.

Then it happened.

Three weeks ago, a messenger had brought word that the close by Golden Leaf Hot Springs were under Mongol attack!

Lord Komi and some of his most trusted Samurai rode out to vanquish the foe and regain possession of one of the island's most treasured landmarks.

However by the time they arrived, the Jito and his warriors discovered that there was no enemy left to vanquish.

The Mongols were dead, piled up and lit on fire.

The head of one of their generals had been left on a spike for all to see.

The Onemine representative continued.

"My lord...perhaps it is time we acknowledge the Ghost for the work he's done?"

Clan Yamai's leader scoffed.

"Don't be foolish! The Ghost fights without honour! He stabs the Mongols in their backs and even kills them in their sleep! No true warrior would act like that."

Clan Otori's representative spoke next.

"Or perhaps he is merely adapting to deal with an enemy we have never faced before?"

Lord Komi lifted his hand again.

"That is enough! We will not even consider praising one who has resorted to such cheap and dastardly tactics. He is no better than the Mongols! Once we receive the Shogun's reinforcements and purge our island of the Mongolian filth we will also put an end to this fabled 'Ghost'. That is my decision."

There were no further arguments from either side.

Lord Komi observed each clan representative present before sighing.

"If we have anything else to discuss, let us put an end to this council meeting. We still have much work to do..."


Masayoshi smiled at his wife as she placed his dinner before him.

"Thank you my love, it looks delicious."

Shuuko squeezed her husband's hand before taking a seat next to him.

"I wanted to prepare a special meal for you two, I know today must have been rough for you and Shouko."

Yuiko Komi, Masayoshi's mother spoke up from the her place at the other side of the table.

"These are just some of the duties that a Jito must fulfill during his tenure. Your father faced many of these as well. I hope you set a good example for my granddaughter, she will have to endure this too one day. "

Shouko nodded respectfully to the family's matriarch.

"I...learned...a lot...today."

Yuiko smiled.

"Good."

Shousuke, Masayoshi's son spoke next.

"Are we...gaining an advantage...against the invaders?"

Masayoshi nodded.

"We are making progress but we are also searching for a way to request reinforcements from the Shogun."

Shuuko frowned.

"I was hoping you'd get a break while eating dinner but it doesn't seem to be the case."

Masayoshi shook his head.

"It's fine dear, our children will be the leaders of this island one day, I am happy they are so interested in it's welfare."

Shouko tried to ignore that sinking feeling that nestled in her tummy at the reminder of her possibly inevitable ascension.

Shousuke posed another question.

"Did they...talk about...the Ghost?"

Shouko made an 'eep' sound. Masayoshi sighed

"Yes...it seems he's been doing his fair share in liberating the island's farmsteads and rescuing people."

Shuuko smiled.

"Good. He's proven himself to be quite the competent warrior."

Yuriko interjected.

"...and a dishonorable one. His way is not the way of the Samurai."

Masayoshi agreed.

"That is true, We can never publicly support the Ghost or what he's doing. If the Shogun were to ever get that impression, he would certainly have me executed and pass on the role of the island's governance to a different clan. We cannot afford to come out on the wrong side of this political conundrum. Not with the Mongols trying to steal our land."

Shuuko knew that the issue prolonging would not bring ang peace so she decided to change the subject.

"It will be the Autumn offering soon, won't it?"

Masayoshi blinked in surprise.

"Already??? But that would mean..."

The Jito looked over at his daughter, Shouko tried to maintain a neutral expression.

The man continued.

"I will present the clan's gift at the shrine this year..."

Yuriko shook her head.

"No Masayoshi. Shouko is of age. The offering should be done by the Jito's firstborn once they reach sixteen. It is tradition. The clans will not view this respectfully if you are the one who goes to the shrine up north. It is not too far away I'm sure Shouko can handle it."

Masayoshi's exhaustion became even more evident with the ending of his mother's sentence. Shouko decided to comfort her father.

"I'll...go."

Masayoshi was honestly surprised.

"Are you sure?"

Shouko nodded.

"Yes...it is...tradition."

Clan Komi's leader smiled.

"Thank you my child...but the offering is normally of a brand new weapon and our town's blacksmith passed away some time ago..."

Shuuko grinned, and the rest of the family could not help but believe that whatever she would say next was the main reason she brought up the Autumn offering in the first place.

"Oh didn't you hear, dear? There's a brand new weapons store working on the edge of town, it's run by a family I believe."

Yuiko spoke next.

"Then Shouko should go and choose a weapon to be presented as an offering."

Shouko started to shake again.

"Me?!?!?! Go into town?!?!?!?!?"


The Next Day

Castle Komi was situated on top of a hill that overlooked Tsushima's largest town, Itan.

It was not rare for her father or mother to make a visit for one reason or another but for Shouko the trip went just as she had expected it go.

The squadron of Samurai that escorted her on her journey made sure that everyone knew that she was coming and that they should make way for her.

While most of the crowd of farmers, businessmen and peasants looked on with a mixture of awe and reverence, Shouko was sure she had seen a few faces laced with disdain.

The purple haired woman sighed silently as their march climaxed at the entrance of a large oval shaped tent near Itan's well guarded borders.

The small sign at the front of the tent read:

WEAPONS FOR SALE.

Komi's eyes glowed with anticipation.

One of the Samurai stepped forward and spoke.

"Komi-sama! Would you like us to go in and purchase a fitting gift on your behalf?"

Shouko shook her head, her grandmother had plainly stated that she should pick the gift.

The Samurai continued.

"Ah I see...then let us accompany you inside and..."

Shouko shook her head again, her mother had related to her in confidence that the person who worked in the tent was a girl that was a few years younger than Shouko.

Surely this was a good opportunity to try to talk to someone!

The Samurai guards being around would not help the situation at all.

The leader of the unit scratched his cheek.

"You...want us to wait outside, Komi-sama?"

Shouko nodded her head as she walked into the large tent, her heart filled with courage.

She could handle this right?


She could not handle this.

Firstly, her mother's info had been incorrect.

The person behind the wooden counter was a male.

A 'within her age group' male.

A soft 'eep' flew out of the girl's lips as the boy looked up at her smiled.

"Hello. How can I assist you today?"

"T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t."

The young man blinked.

"Tanto? You'd like to buy a Tanto?"

Shouko continued to shake as the young man scratched his chin.

"Oh that's not it? Hmm I'm normally pretty good at this..."

"T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t."

The young man nodded.

"Oh I see. Sure you can send take your time and look around the store. Call me if you see anything you like, okay?"

Shouko's eyes widened.

How did he know that she was trying to say that?

A few seconds passed and the Jito's daughter caught herself staring at the young man who was busily cleaning a set of red armour.

With a shake of the head, the girl cleared her thoughts and went around looking at the weapons on display.


Minutes had passed and Shouko had not yet made a choice, they were just to many options and styles.

She could surely use the help of that young man but how was she gonna get his attenti-

"You seem stuck."

Shouko almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of the young man's voice directly behind her.

When and how did he manage to get so close to her without her noticing?

The black haired male spoke again.

"Tell me, are you seeking a weapon for yourself or a gift for a loved one?"

"T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t."

"Ah an offering, well in that case l bows are a good choice."

Shouko blinked.

"Can...can he read my mind?"

The young smiled at her again.

"Have you checked out our bows section as yet?"

Shouko shook her head.

The young man guided her to the rack of archery weapons. Immediately her eyes were drawn to a dark brown long bow.

Something deep within her heart just said it was the right choice.

Right on cue, the boy took up the bow and handed it to her.

"It's perfect. I'll take eighty ryo for it."

Shouko quickly agreed and paid for the bow, she tried to give the man a tip but he refused it.

His smile and kind words made her blush and feel a bit nervous and not in the way she was commonly used to.

It was a good thing he didn't recognize who she was or she would have been really embarr-

"Thanks again for your business, Komi-sama."

"He's a sorcerer. A kind yet evil sorcerer."

Komi attempted to say goodbye but after a few tries, she didn't feel like she was going to get the idea across.

Just as she turned to leave, the shop attendant spoke again.

"Komi-sama...forgive me if I'm being impolite...but do you have difficulty talking to people?"

Shouko froze.

"An evil mind reading sorcerer!"

The boy reached under his counter and produced a medium sized scroll, some sort of writing instrument and a ball of what seemed to be wax.

He explained as he demonstrated the product to her.

"My sister invented this cool writing tool, it's not permanent like ink, she made it out of charcoal and some other stuff, the wax is for erasing what you wrote, it makes the paper re-usable. You can use this to communicate with people better."

(Authors Note: I know this wouldn't work, you don't have to make a review/comment about it.)

Shouko stared at him wide-eyed.

"And when they're done, you can always come back for a refill, okay?"

Shouko lowered her head and carefully wrote two words.

"Thank You"

The boy smiled.

"Think nothing of it Komi-sama."

Shouko quickly erased and wrote again.

"What is your name?"

The male bowed.

"Hitohito Tadano at your service my lord."

Shouko blushed as she considered if she should write what her mind was thinking of. She had just met Tadano and he was just a stranger that was kind to her.

He could have been doing it to gain favour with her family...

She looked at his smiling face one more time and all of her doubts disappeared.

She silently scribbled her next message.

"Tadano-san...will you be my friend?"

Tadano read the message and nodded.

"Of course. It would be my pleasure, Komi-sama."

Shouko borrowed her face into the scroll and let out a loud squeal of excitement...

Which inadvertently led to the Samurai rushing into the tent and threatening Tadano with death, life imprisonment and/or torture for harming the Jito's daughter.

The embarrassed girl rectified the situation and left right after that with her thoroughly scolded Samurai in tow.


The Next Evening

Shouko sighed happily as their group rode along the main road that led to the town of Itan and ultimately Castle Komi.

The Autumn offering at the shrine went perfectly and some of the onlookers seemed to be very impressed with the bow that she had presented to the gods.

"I should thank Tadano-san again when I return to Itan."

The thought of her first ever friend carved a small smile on to the girl's face.

After so many years of failing to build a meaningful connection outside of her family, she finally had someone she could relate to.

"Wait...Should I have picked up a gift when we were passing one of those trading posts ? Or is too early in our friendship for that? Is he expecting me to talk to him tomorrow? Or will that off come as clingy ?"

Slowly, several troubling thoughts and questions began to creep into Shouko's mind.

The lavender haired girl did not want to lose her new friend so quickly by breaking one of the unspoken friendship rules!

Should she ask one of the maidens who served in the castle? They seemed to know a lot about boys...

Soon enough the girl became a quivering mess of anxiety, thankfully her mental tornado of confusion was dispersed by a shout from the Samurai leading the party.

"Slow down! Injured civilian ahead!"

Shouko's brow furrowed in concern as the group drew closer to a limping peasant, the man's face was covered by a wide bamboo hat, his cart filled with goods was overturned in the nearby bushes.

"It must have been an accident...Does he need a healer?"

One of the Samurais dismounted and approached the man.

"Do you need help? We're going to the town of Itan, we can get you a healer there. Do you have a horse?"

The man remained silent. The Samurai drew closer to investigate.

"Are you a farmer from these lands? Can you hear me?"

The man finally lifted his head, a greasy grin plastered on his face.

Shouko's heart almost exploded.

That was not a Japanese farmer but a Mongolian in disguise.

It must have been some kind of signal, with the fake farmer's unveiling, a barrage of Mongolian warriors surged from the nearby foliage and other hiding spots.

Launching a ferocious attack on the Jito's daughter and her Samurai protectors.

They had no mercy.


Shouko had seen blood and death before...

She had seen duels between swordsmen end in a bad injury or a lost limb.

She had witnessed criminals executed.

But she had never seen anything like this...

Her eyes watered as one of the brutes tightened the rope around her wrists.

She was their captive.

She did not understand their language but she didn't like the excited tones they spoke with.

Finally one of them drew closer to her and spoke Japanese.

"Shouko Komi, daughter of Jito Masayoshi Komi. The so called 'Ice Princess'...

The mongol grabbed Shouko's face with one hand, squeezing her cheeks with his fingers.

"...you truly are a beauty. It's such a shame the Khan requested you be delivered untouched."

"Untouched...he doesn't mean..."

The mongol chuckled and the smell on his breath made Shouko grimace.

"Let's go Komi-san, it is not wise to keep him waiting."

POSSHHHHHH!

A cloud of thick grey smoke enveloped Shouko and the Mongols, based on the surprised reactions of the invaders it was easy to deduce that this was not their doing.

SHWICKK!

SHWICKK!

Shouko could not see much within the cloud of smoke but it seemed as if something had happened.

Two Mongols fell over.

A third one shouted in terror.

"THE GHOS-AWKKKK"

Someone...no something was hidden within the cloud!

Shouko watched with rabid fascination as a figure ripped through the Mongols with ease. The one that spoken to her in Japanese rushed forward with a shout of anger, seeking to avenge his fallen warriors...

His headless body fell to the ground right at Shouko's feet.

The smoke finally cleared...

Where most women would be terrified, frightened or scared...

Shouko Komi was absolutely captivated.

He was chaotic beauty personified...

He stood there among the corpses. His blade drenched in their blood, his black armor seemed to be modified to fit his slender body.

His mask and head-piece portrayed the wrath of an angry demon.

Her breathing slowed as he walked towards her. Wiping away the Mongolian blood that stained his katana into elbow fold of his sleeve.

Her savior spoke, his voice sounded

...altered.

Was it something inside the mask?

"You don't need to be afraid, Komi-sama. I'm here to rescue you. Please extend your arms."

The lavender haired beauty followed the Ghost's instructions without hesitance. The man quickly cut through the ropes and freed her hands.

Shouko rubbed her tender wrists to ease some of the discomfort but her eyes would not leave the mysterious warrior as he took one final look at the bodies of the defeated invaders.

The Ghost approached her once more.

His steps made no sound.

Was he walking on air?

He drew close enough for to see his eyes.

"I'm going to take you back to Castle Komi, are you well enough to ride?"

Shouko cleared her throat, prepared a response that would confirm the affirmative but never found the strength.

With the weight of the ordeal finally crashing down on her, she fainted and fell forward right into the Ghost's arms.

A few awkward moments of silence passed before the Ghost sighed audibly.

"Figures..."


Shouko's eyes slowly opened, wincing at the bright lights that were close to her head.

The ceiling above looked familiar...

She was back in her room!

There was someone kneeling next to her.

Her eyes slowly focused.

Shousuke?

Her little brother hugged her before running off, probably to tell the whole castle that she was awake.

A few moments later, the rest of her family came into her room.

Her father thanked the gods and swore to kill ever Mongol on the island to protect her.

Her grandmother apologized for her stubbornness and how it almost cost the entire family dearly. She cried openly as she asked Shouko to find it in her heart to forgive her.

Her brother and mother just kept squeezing her hands.

After some time had passed and the drama had finally subsided, Shouko found herself alone with her mother.

The Jito's wife was softly combing her daughter's hair.

An action that Shouko had always found calming since she was a young child.

The girl finally spoke.

"What...happened?"

"The maids found you asleep on one of the beds in their quarters. You were wrapped in some very nice linen. I guess he didn't want you to be cold."

"He?"

"The person who saved you."

Shouko nodded.

"It was...the Ghost. He was...amazing."

"Was he a demon, spirit or human?"

Shouko shook her head.

"I'm sure...he's not...a demon."

"Why?"

"No demon...could have.. such kind eyes."


WELL THAT WAS IT.

Tell me if you like it and if I should continue.