Ok, I'll admit this story is missing something, like one reviewer pointed out. I will try to rewrite this sometime and make it better, but It'll be in a while, so please be patient. But for now, here is Chapter 3 of "Live, Love, and Die by the Sword."
The day broke over the hot springs village of Hinata and reached the top of the hill where the Hinata house sits. Everyone was all still asleep, dreaming of their future in Tokyo U, drinking binges, turtle hunting, and a cooking up a feast. One resident, however, has been up long before dawn, meditating and focusing all her mind, spirit, and heart into her blade she was wielding in hand. The Sun light broke through the curtain of her window and reflected off her blade. She opened her eyes and looked at the shimmering steel.
"The time has come. The day I've trained for all my life is here at last."
At breakfast, Shinobu cooked up her special blue berry pancakes and fresh squeezed orange juice. Keitaro dug right in. "Wow, Shinobu, this it fantastic! If I could eat this well every day, and my studies keep going the way they are, my life would be perfect." She was so happy to hear those words coming from him. "Oh, thank you Sempai. I'm so happy you like them so much." Kitsunei looked on as she took a sip of her Oj. Of course, she did sneak in her own booze to give it an extra kick. Naru came down and sat at the table. Keitaro took one look at her, but that was more than enough to know she was still dead asleep "Oh wow, Naru. You look terrible."
And it took only one blow right between the eyes to send that inconsiderate fool sailing through the kitchen door. "You don't have to be so observant. I pulled an all nighter and fell asleep around four in the morning." Shinobu looked at her and dashed to the kitchen to fix her up a cup of coffee. "You know, Naru," Kitsunei started. "If you don't get enough rest and stress you're self out like this studying, you're gonna end up all old and wrinkly. And then Keitaro won't be interested anymore."
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I CARE WHAT HE THINKS!?!?!" Before anything else could be shouted, Motoko walked in with a calming, soothing aura around her. Even Su looked at her with awe as she took her seat and took a sip of her tea Shinoubu prepared for her. "Thank you, Shinobu." Su looked all around her and just couldn't understand what was going on. Kitsune grabbed her and Naru and dragged them into the kitchen.
"Hey, guys, is it me or is their something about Motoko that is really serene and Feng Shui?" Su was the first to agree. "Yeah, she's not so fun anymore." Naru gave it a thought. "It must be that tournament." Kitsune snapped her fingers. "That's it. She's set her mind all on that today. Luckily, I just so happened to have pulled these just in the nick of time."
She pulled out of her bra six slips of paper. "Ta-Da!!! Tickets to the Kendo championships. First row center seats!" Naru looked at her with questioning eyes. "And just where did you get the money to pay for these?" Kitsune simply nudged her head at the cold, limp body of Keitaro who was still out from Naru's last knock-out jab. "Well, I could use a break and I'm sure Motoko will need us to be there to cheer her on."
Kitsune stood up and was practically preaching. "All right then! In high hoped for our deer Motoko, we're going to the Tokyo Dome to cheer her on to victory!!!"
Motoko felt a shiver down her back, as if someone just ran down her hopes. "Please, don't tell me...."
"...YOU ALL ARE COMING TO!?!?!?" As Motoko stood in front of the famous Stadium, she was being followed by her annoying and irritating house mates as they carried banners, sparklers, and bells. "We'll be cheering you on from the front row, Motoko!!!" Naru shouted. Su jumped on her back and gave her a squeeze. "Good luck and kick some major butt!!!"
Motoko felt any chance she had slip away like a scarf being blown away by the wind. "What did I ever do to deserve this?" She tried her best to try to brush them all aside for now as she stepped through the doors of her greatest challenge yet."
"Ms. Aoyama!!!" That voice. It was the voice she had only met one day ago, yet she already grew to dispise it. "Mr. Himura, I will kindly ask you to leave me alone, for today, we are rivals." Sosukei simply rubbed his chin with his index as he tried to find the right words to say. "I know, Ms. Aoyama. I just wanted to say that if you got the wrong impression from the other day, then I'm sorry, that I truly am. And if it's not any trouble, I'd like to make it up to you."
Her face was flushed as he looked into her eyes. She didn't know what to do nor how to act in front of this man. She was shocked back into reality, however, by Kitsune's woo's and whistles. "Get you're head into the tournament, you fool! Then think about what you're going to do next!"
"WHAT!?!?!?!"
Everyone was in total shock as if they had seen miracle. Instead of completely blowing off the man, or more commonly for her, giving him the cold shoulder, she practically gave him a 'maybe'. "Someone, call a medic!!!" Kitsune and Su tackled her down onto the floor and checked her completely. "Hey, Su! Use you're lil gizmo you brought just for this kind of emergency.!"
She grabbed her backpack and popped out a controller with two large arms connected to it. "It's my latest invention in the field of medicine! It'll tell us you're blood pressure, weight, temperature, cup size, and more!" Motoko was struggling trying to break free. "WHAT THE HELL DOES MY BUST HAVE TO DO WITH MY HEALTH!?!?!?"
"Oro!?!?" Sosukei was surprised to see what these women was talking about right in front of him. Um... i think I'll be leaving now!" As he walked on his way to the fitting rooms, he ran into another potential hazard. "Ow, sorry about that. I wasn't looking where I was going." He said. "Oh' it's ok. I couldn't see with all the snacks the girls made me buy. I'm Keitaro Urashima. Are you fighting in the tournament?" Sosukei nodded. "Yes. My name is Sosukei Himura, and I'm going to win."
Keitaro felt sorry for the guy. Motoko would probably take him out. That it, if she ever gets the chance to face him. "Well, good luck." As the red haired man walked of where only contestants are allowed, Keitaro's mind just kicked into overdrive as he remembered that name.
"SOSUKEI HIMURA!?!?!?"
He was off looking for Motoko in order to warn her of that man. "If he's exactly who I think he is... then she won't stand a chance!" He cut the corner and barely dodged a crowd coming through the doors. "Sorry about that!" his eyes took one second to look back, and that was enough to miss Motoko in front of him as he kept running and knocked down Naru.
"Agghh, Naru! Where's Motoko!?!?" His only answer was an elbow to the jaw. "YOU MISSED HER AND GOT ME!!!" He straightened his glasses and saw Motoko walking into the area only for contestants. "Motoko wait! One of the contestants!!!" Motoko looked at him. "I know, Urashima." He stopped and let her go on. "I know that man is here somewhere. And I will put an end to his evil ways." with all that said and done, she walked off to face the world. "What? How does she know about him?" Motoko looked at the competition. "I know you're here, Kendo bandit. and I will put an end to you're perverted ways myself."
Naru and the others looked at Keitaro as he sat on the floor, trying to regain his breath. "So, who is this fighter you tried to warn her about?" she asked. He stood up and had a look of concern through his glasses as he turned to explain. "Have any of you ever heard of the Hitokiri Batousai?"
"Welcome, Ladies and Gentleman To The XX Annual World Kendo Championship. Our first match to day is Motoko Aoyama Vs. Last year's champion, Lu Bu!" As the announcer finished, the lights dimmed as the two combatants stepped into the ring. The referee stepped in "Face me! Bow! Face each other, Bow. Unsheathed you're weapons!" Both Motoko and Lu drew their weapons, knowing that only one of them would be victorious. Fortunately for both of them, they would be using bokuto's, wooden swords.
The lights where all on them. The Announcer took the mic one more time. "LET'S GET READY TO RUUUMBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLEEEEEEE!!!!"
(Author's note: Sorry, I just couldn't help my self.)
The Gong sounded and both where determined to end this bout quickly. Lu came with a forward lung, going right for the sternum. Motoko saw this and waited for the righ moment.Amuro tried to take advantage of this. "This end's now!!!" She sho her eyes open and side stepped with a twist, as if she was dancing a deadly, forbiden dance, and came with a swing to the spine. The shot was heard through out the stadium and Lu was sent flying out of the ring. As he tumbled and rolled on the ground, Motoko bowed to the judge,knowing that she was victorious. "And Just like that, the winner is Motoko Aoyama!!!" The crowd was on it's feet cheering for her as she walked back to her own locker room.
From the front row, Shinobu sank into her seat. "I'm so thankful that she wasn't hurt. But Sempai, what is it you seem so worried about?" Keitaro took a gulp and started to explain what he thought might be the case.
"Back in the late 1800's, durring the revolution, there was a legend among these warriors. That legend had an outstanding kill record and was referred to as the Hitokiri Batousai. It's said that he has red hair and was scard on his cheek." Naru looked at him with astonishment. "Wow, you have been studying." Keitaro laughed at that. "Actualy, my dad told me those stories when I was still a kid." Naru hanged her head in shame. She knew that dork wouldn't have learned all that from a book.
"But there was some debate on weather the batousai was real or not. And they say he vowed never to kill again after the Meiji revolution, so from that moment, he carried with him a reverse blade sword. And I can't really remember what my dad used to say his name was, but I though I recognized this one guy's name I met a little while ago." Kitsune looked at the center of the arena and saw the next figh coming up next. "Hey, Keitaro." she pointed to the ring. "Is that guy with the red hair the one you're talkin about?"
On the floor, Sosukei stepped up and awaited his opponent. A giant of a man, bald, stepped in and looked at the small sixteen year old Himura and gave him a Sadistic smile. "Sorry, squirt. But you should have known that you're going to get hurt in this thing sooner than later." The referee gave the usual bow routine and looked as the judges looked on at the mis-match about to go underway. They gave the signal to start. "Our next match: Sosukei Himura VS Huang Gui! FIGHT!!!"
"Well, kid. See ya when I'm champ!!!" The brute took one swing of the blade and blew a force right to Sosukei. The audience all gasped in horror of what could possibly happen if that attack where to hit and if he could ever dodge it. Sosukei, however, didn't so much as flinch as he drew his blade and stood ready to intercept the attack. 'Oh my god! He's done for!" people where screaming from the stands, but the young man only stood ready when the force was rushing at an incredible rate.
"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!" Sosukei broke the suspense with a shout from the top of his lungs as he struck the very epicenter of his opponents attack and rushed in with his sword as fast as he could. The giant was astonished by what he has just seen. So much, that he completely lost focus on his adversary. "What the hell!?!?" But but before he knew what hit him, he fell on the ground on his knees and the crowd looked at Sosukei, standing right behind him with kneeling with his arm extended out. "He's knocked out." he said. "This match is over." He lifted his sword over his head slowly, then swiftly shot it down at the same time the bald man dropped face first to the ground.
...
The crowd was all in silence, the judges didn't know how to call it, and from the very back, Motoko Aoyama was speachless. it all happened so fast, not one eye in the house blinked. However, there was not an eye that was able to catch just what happend. The announcer cleared his throat before finally speaking.
"UNBELIEVABLE!!! This Sosukei Himura Defeated Huang Gui!!! Let's go to the Titan-Tron to get a slow-motion look at just what happened!" The screen started when Sosukei drew his sword and slowly advanced to where he sprinted right for Huang. Right when his eyes shot wide open from the counter, Sosukei was already past him and delivered a sickening blow to the back of the head. Keitaro was hanging off the barricade at paying as much attention to the replay. "Hey, Naru?" he asked, completly lost. Naru was more than speachless, but managed to respond. "Yes... Keitaro... what is it...?"
"DID YOU SEE THAT!?!? THAT WAS AWSOME!!!" everyone fell on their face with those stupid words he blurted out. "What are you thinking!?!?!" Naru shouted. "He could have killed that man!!! Motoko's going to have to fight that...that... Man Slayer!!!"
Motoko had never seen that maneuver before, but only heard of something rather familiar to it. Ryu-Kan-Sen, The Dragon Wind Up Flash. That was a technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi style. A style thought to have vanished from the face of the earth. But she saw first hand this man use it execute this maneuver like he was a master of it.
"I... It can't be. This man knows of the Hiten Mitsurugi." Motoko was approaching the ring and looked at the young man with an almost hypnotic gaze. He simply took a deep breath and put away his sword as he made his way out of the ring.
"Sosukei Himura, you are from this point not allowed to use you're own weapon in this tournament." Sosukei was thunder struck at their decision. "But... this sword has been passed down from my great great grand father! Maybe even before that!" The judges could care less. "I'm sorry, but tournament rules state that only issued bokutos are allowed in this tournament. We'll ask you once more to not use that sword, or you will be disqualified. What will it be, Mr. Himura?"
Sosukei was more than disapointed with the decision. "If it means continuing in this tournament, then I will set down my sword for now." Motoko looked on and sympathized with him. She wanted to use her sister's sword to win this, but they would not allow it. "Hey, Himura." she called to him. He looked at her with easy eyes. "Oh, Ms. Aoyama."
In the locker room, Motoko was sitting across from Sosukei, both with their most treasured possession at hand. "So, they wouldn't let you use you're sister's sword?" She shook her head. "No. I can understand why, but it would have meant so much more if I could win using her gift she gave to me." Sosukei took her sword and unsheathed it. He examined it thoroughly, checking every inch of the blade, the handle, and it's sheath. Satisfied, he set it back in the sheath and handed it back to her. "This is truly a beautiful peace of craftsmanship."
Motoko's cheeck where red as the blood rushed to her face. "Ah..." she couldn't find the words to say at a time like this. She never had any situation like this, much less with a boy. Finally, she managed to spit something out. "Th... Thank you." She said it. For her, it felt like a heavy burden was lifted off her shoulders. She felt more at ease but she didn't know how to explain it. Sosukei simply smiled and stood up with his sword at hand. Just then, he had an idea. "Hey, Ms. Aoyama? Those friends of yours. Do you think they would mind if I ask them to hold onto my sword for the remainder of the tournament?" Her head was in the clouds, thinking about what this feeling she had in her was.
"Um.. Ms. Motoko?" he placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to get a signal from her. Finally snapping back into reality, she noted his hand on her. This was not as innocent to her as it really was. "KEEP YOU'RE HANDS TO YOU'RE SELF!!!"
"Oro!?!?" She took her sword and quickly smacked him across the face with the flat edge, sending him flying into the laundry shoot. "That letch!" She shook it off and proceeded to walk out the door. That is, until she saw Sosukei's sword on the floor. "Well, I guess I could do him this small favor."
To be continued...
Well, I put more heart into this chapter then I thought I would. Please submit reviews and tell me what you think. I'm not the best typist, but I think I'm managing. I'll most likely won't post another chapter until I do one more chapter for my other two fictions. Until next time, I leave you with a quote of "wisdom"
"The Name's Duo. Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie. That's my motto."~*~*~Duo Maxwell from "Gundam Wing" (I'm running out of funny stuff!)