Author's Note: This chapter will be a bit longer; the first was merely an
exploratory chapter. As always, let me know what you think.
Chapter 2:
"Why are you so afraid?" She was not quite sure why she was whispering as well.
Unfortunately, the messenger was off as soon as the message was in Kaoru's hands. An ominous chill to the cool breeze came in, and the earth itself seemed to shudder at the mysterious message in Kaoru's possession.
She ran back toward the dojo with a worried look on her face, her dear Shinta had only just returned from Kyoto, and she did not like the idea of him leaving so soon. Yahiko ran toward her after seeing her rush at such a pace across the compound, but he just as did the world around them stopped and suddenly became fearful.
"What's the matter Kaoru? Is Shinta okay? C'mon tell me!"
This caught Kaoru off guard, because it seemed to her as if even for a moment Yahiko and the very earth itself cried out with this alarm. She tried to disperse him quickly, for she was anxious to figure out why this letter was inverting the natural order of the world around her.
"I don't know, where is Shinta? Is he still in the dojo? I need to find him quickly; I don't know why, but this letter seems to frighten the very world."
Yahiko pondered for a moment, but could not remember if he was still in the dojo or not.
"What is the matter? You all look like you've seen ghosts that you do."
Shinta appeared out of nowhere, and was dirty from all the gardening he had just finished, giving his scar a brownish tint. As he met the look in Kaoru's eye, he too became worried, but his was an expression of serious worry.
"Torisaka and Serekoso wrote didn't they?" His cross scar burned as he muttered these words, instantly transforming him from the happy and content state he enjoyed not moments ago to the grave and serious Shinta that emerged when he was threatened.
Although she knew she should be comforted that Shinta recognized these names, her fears nevertheless remained, growing as she witnessed his scar burn.
"Shinta what's going on? I'm worried."
The wind had picked up and was starting to shriek, and with this wind, the cherry blossoms instead of flowing about like graceful dancers at the theaters, now carried on like a tornado. Out of all these cherry blossoms, there flew one red petal, which Shinta promptly snatched from the air.
"The trees still bleed at the mere mention of those two, there is a story behind my scar that I've never told you, and it is part of the agony that still tears at my heart."
******************
"There you are Kenshin, Sarekoso and I have been looking all over for you!" Torisaka was yelling across the lane as loudly as possible without attracting too much attention.
Kenshin turned to the duo, he liked neither, but since they both followed his leader, neither could die by his blade.
Torisaka was a tall lean man in his thirties with a deeply tanned expression, body armor, deep black gauntlets, and a brown tunic. He made his reputation from the claw marks across his face that tore slits in his mask, and the scythe he carried with him.
Sarekoso on the other hand was only medium in height, but what he lacked there, he made up in strength. He also was a much cheerier person, wearing a sky blue gi offset with a sakabatou at his waist. The expression of mangled joy that always portrayed his face unnerved all who spoke to him, for this facet of him continually distracted them.
Their meeting took place on a sunny day, and the crowds bustled around them blooming for all the world as if they were a living hanami festival. Various musicians were set up at a nearby veranda to a shop's porch playing an old country tune that accompanied the rustling leaves to create a song of it's own; a living song.
The dark expressions worn by both Torisaka and Sarekoso betrayed the secrecy with which they tried to act, and both stood there looking at each other to decide who would speak until Sarekoso broke the silence.
"You've been given your assignment, but know also that this man is to be married to a woman named Berame. Don't be fooled, this sounds useless, but the man has become cautious and you may need other means to track him down than just him directly."
******************* Yahiko displayed a confused expression on his face, since the story seemed to have no bearing on Shinta's apparent plight.
"I don't understand Shinta, what do these men have to do with your past?"
"Because," he replied " no one but their lords have ever lived long after being in communication with them; that is why the messenger most likely ran away in fright. Their connection to me is they are the only two people I could not beat; they manipulated me, tormented me, and all because they hated the fact that my reputation bettered theirs. They are the reason why the blood and death of Tomoe's husband will remain stained on my sword twice over."
Author's Note: Well? I hope that my story to come will shed light on a new possibility about Shinta's past. Let me know what you think as always.
Chapter 2:
"Why are you so afraid?" She was not quite sure why she was whispering as well.
Unfortunately, the messenger was off as soon as the message was in Kaoru's hands. An ominous chill to the cool breeze came in, and the earth itself seemed to shudder at the mysterious message in Kaoru's possession.
She ran back toward the dojo with a worried look on her face, her dear Shinta had only just returned from Kyoto, and she did not like the idea of him leaving so soon. Yahiko ran toward her after seeing her rush at such a pace across the compound, but he just as did the world around them stopped and suddenly became fearful.
"What's the matter Kaoru? Is Shinta okay? C'mon tell me!"
This caught Kaoru off guard, because it seemed to her as if even for a moment Yahiko and the very earth itself cried out with this alarm. She tried to disperse him quickly, for she was anxious to figure out why this letter was inverting the natural order of the world around her.
"I don't know, where is Shinta? Is he still in the dojo? I need to find him quickly; I don't know why, but this letter seems to frighten the very world."
Yahiko pondered for a moment, but could not remember if he was still in the dojo or not.
"What is the matter? You all look like you've seen ghosts that you do."
Shinta appeared out of nowhere, and was dirty from all the gardening he had just finished, giving his scar a brownish tint. As he met the look in Kaoru's eye, he too became worried, but his was an expression of serious worry.
"Torisaka and Serekoso wrote didn't they?" His cross scar burned as he muttered these words, instantly transforming him from the happy and content state he enjoyed not moments ago to the grave and serious Shinta that emerged when he was threatened.
Although she knew she should be comforted that Shinta recognized these names, her fears nevertheless remained, growing as she witnessed his scar burn.
"Shinta what's going on? I'm worried."
The wind had picked up and was starting to shriek, and with this wind, the cherry blossoms instead of flowing about like graceful dancers at the theaters, now carried on like a tornado. Out of all these cherry blossoms, there flew one red petal, which Shinta promptly snatched from the air.
"The trees still bleed at the mere mention of those two, there is a story behind my scar that I've never told you, and it is part of the agony that still tears at my heart."
******************
"There you are Kenshin, Sarekoso and I have been looking all over for you!" Torisaka was yelling across the lane as loudly as possible without attracting too much attention.
Kenshin turned to the duo, he liked neither, but since they both followed his leader, neither could die by his blade.
Torisaka was a tall lean man in his thirties with a deeply tanned expression, body armor, deep black gauntlets, and a brown tunic. He made his reputation from the claw marks across his face that tore slits in his mask, and the scythe he carried with him.
Sarekoso on the other hand was only medium in height, but what he lacked there, he made up in strength. He also was a much cheerier person, wearing a sky blue gi offset with a sakabatou at his waist. The expression of mangled joy that always portrayed his face unnerved all who spoke to him, for this facet of him continually distracted them.
Their meeting took place on a sunny day, and the crowds bustled around them blooming for all the world as if they were a living hanami festival. Various musicians were set up at a nearby veranda to a shop's porch playing an old country tune that accompanied the rustling leaves to create a song of it's own; a living song.
The dark expressions worn by both Torisaka and Sarekoso betrayed the secrecy with which they tried to act, and both stood there looking at each other to decide who would speak until Sarekoso broke the silence.
"You've been given your assignment, but know also that this man is to be married to a woman named Berame. Don't be fooled, this sounds useless, but the man has become cautious and you may need other means to track him down than just him directly."
******************* Yahiko displayed a confused expression on his face, since the story seemed to have no bearing on Shinta's apparent plight.
"I don't understand Shinta, what do these men have to do with your past?"
"Because," he replied " no one but their lords have ever lived long after being in communication with them; that is why the messenger most likely ran away in fright. Their connection to me is they are the only two people I could not beat; they manipulated me, tormented me, and all because they hated the fact that my reputation bettered theirs. They are the reason why the blood and death of Tomoe's husband will remain stained on my sword twice over."
Author's Note: Well? I hope that my story to come will shed light on a new possibility about Shinta's past. Let me know what you think as always.