Shinbi Soshite Sono Biisuto (Beauty and the Beast)
Note: This story is going to be much darker than my usual fics. Not even sure where the inspiration or idea for this came from. But it's here now, and I'm still not sure as to where this is all going. It's just a side thing while working on my Rowan series. Hope you enjoy, all definitions are at the end of the story.
~~~~~~~~~
She watched her master parade around in front of the hungry men, knowing that in one week, she would be forced to leave the company of her fellow apprentices and become a Geisha herself. But for the time being, she was still a Maiko.
The men reached out to fondle and grope the dancing woman as the children watched. Seeing their fate in the body of their master. The once child, now a svelte woman of fourteen, could see a man in light armor out of the corner of her eye watching her. It was dishonorable to make eye contact to some one of higher rank then her, so she turned her head down, and made her rounds to collect the coins for her masters work.
She drew close to the man watching her, holding out the flimsy cloth pouch, and hoping for a few yen or copper coins. The man pulled her close by the wrist, and using her will power, stopped herself from flinching. Upon closer inspection, she could tell that the man was a soldier, perhaps even an honored ninja. She thought.
"Hmm, such a pretty child. What is your name young one?"
She felt his rough hands course down her body, and over the thin material of her costume.
"Hashimoto, Kiyoko Hashimoto." She jangled the cloth pouch hopefully. He smiled at her and dropped in two yen dollars. A very large amount for a mere geisha dancer, she looked back up at the man only to find him gone.
Hashimoto turned around to finish collecting the coins and then rejoin her master. Her teacher was watching her with a look that Kiyoko didn't recognize.
"Master Samo, is something the matter?"
The older woman looked down at the young apprentice, then away. Hashimoto saw that she seemed to have a sad, almost despondent look about her, but it would have been unwise to question her further, the punishment for angering a master was always severe.
Rejoining the other maikos, Hashimoto lead the way back to their hut.
*
Once the night had settled Kiyoko heard the sound of the curtain being moved aside, opening one eye she caught sight of her master beckoning her. Standing quietly, she followed Samo outside.
"Master Samo, why did you call me out? Is there a problem?"
A hiss from Samo silenced the child. Looking down, Hashimoto followed her master while keeping her eyes trained on her bare feet walking through the tall grass.
After only a few minutes of walking, Hashimoto could hear the sound of men laughing and talking. The sounds caused her to look up, and she spotted a bonfire, large men were sitting around it, light glinted off of metal armor and swords that lay by their sides.
In a mere second, the men took notice of the two women approaching, and, drawing their weapons watched them closely. Standing behind Samo, Kiyoko listened to what sounded like barter, or trade. The one man that her master talked to was the same man from earlier, Hashimoto quickly realized. Only he had removed the majority of his armor. He reached into his pocket and brought out a large sack of coins, and tossed it at the grinning Samo, who turned and looked at the wondering geisha.
Giving one last appraising look, Samo turned and took off, leaving Kiyoko alone with the men. Quickly looking around, she bowed deeply, staying down for a minute to show her respect. She was quickly pulled out of it when a rough hand grabbed her own and pulled her to the ground with him.
"I am your new master, little Hashimoto."
Keeping her eyes lowered, she tried to survey him, "And what may I call you master?"
"Saionji, Mitsuoki Saionji. And I have great things planned for you, my little kunoichi."
The sound of that word gave rise to panic in Hashimoto, and she looked up at Saionji. Seeing in the fact his sincerity, she tried to get herself out of the deposited role.
"Master Saionji, I am young and inexperienced for a role as honorable such as that.
I fear that you may become disappointed with my performance."
Tightening his grip on her wrist, Mitsuoki glared at her, the sounds of his fellow warriors in the background fading as they waited for her immediate discipline.
"You will not speak unless spoken too, you will do as I say, I have bought you, and I will raise you as I deem fit. You have been raised in the ways of the Taikomochi, so you are well versed in the ways of the kunoichi! Have I made myself clear?"
When Hashimoto only nodded, Saionji tugged roughly on her arm, pulling her forward face first in the ground. Getting to her feet quickly, she bowed deeply and replied quickly.
"Yes, please accept my apologizes Master Saionji."
Satisfied, he motioned for her to sit back down beside him. Complying, she quickly scanned the other men present, and found them all to be honor guards; samurais with a pledge of honor to protect the Emperor. Kiyoko couldn't understand why a ninja would be allowed around respected honor guards, since they hated each other. The Samurai disliking the supposed cowardly way the ninja performed their duties. She had little time to ponder over the revelation. Her eye's drooped alarmingly as the night passed on, and soon, the smokeless fire was doused with dirt and extinguished.
*
In the years to come, Hashimoto knew of nothing other than training. Her master trained her in the art of Ninpo, the art of stealth, bojutsu, the art of Bo fighting, Seishin Teki Kyoko, which defined seven major points needed to become a master kunoichi. Knowing oneself, knowing nature, destiny, harmony, the heart, the eye and last, love. While she had also been trained in all forms of weaponry, she seemed to be the best at using the Kusari-Gama, the sickle and chain weapon.
At the age nineteen, her master Saionji took her out to a large field, it was in the blossoming stage of Spring, and the world was alive with beauty. Kiyoko Hashimoto was dressed in a long kimono of silk decorated with the designs of cherry blossom on a white background, secured by a cream obi sash. Her long raven hair held up tightly in a traditional bun. She watched the man that had shown her everything that world had to offer. The man that had taught and trained her the ways of the ninja was now much older in appearance. Although he still was very spry and agile, it was not the same man that had bought her for what Samo assumed was her mizuage.
She watched as he slung the bag off of his back, taking great care not to harm the weapons he brought or himself in the process of carrying them. He brought forth her weapon of choice, and she grasped the weighted end of the Kusari-Gama in one hand, while in the other she held the Gama, or sickle part of the weapon by the small handle.
"Kiyoko, " He had long ago stopped addressing her formerly, " I have fulfilled my duty to my Emperor, and I have brought you out here to teach you one final lesson before you can call yourself a master Kunoichi."
She watched as he slowly untied the belt that secured his hakama's and haori, the small jacket fell away, baring his chest. And she thought it odd that he would want bouj now. He had not requested it for many months. But she waited patiently, as she always had, when he had requested her services of lovemaking. But she immediately discovered from his stance and emotions, that this was not what he was requesting.
Saionji gently pulled out a small dagger from the bag, and held it by the hilt, the blade poised above his abdomen. Looking over to her, he began the explanation.
"I am at an old age, I can no longer teach, and I have watched as you have grown into a beautiful kunoichi. I have one last thing to teach you, and one final request."
He beckoned her closer, the blade only inches from his waist. Standing before him, she knew what the request would be before he spoken it.
"It is time for my own hara - kiri. But I have need of your assistance for the final act."
Kyoko hated the ritual, hated that she would be honor-bound to decapitate the head of her master. She nodded silently, and walked around to the back of Saionji, cradling his kneeling body in her arms. Reaching up she grasped the hilt of the dagger, her hands wrapping around his own as they led the blade slowly across his midsection. The self - disembowelment beginning; she could feel his body tingling with pain, and his back arching with the slow, precise movement. Finally, the process was complete, and she lay her master and lover down gently. Picking up her Kusari-Gama she unwound the chain, and with a single, swift movement, sliced off his head.
*
Twilight was quickly approaching. Kiyoko looked down at the shallow grave that she had dug with the small wooden spade that Saionji had been kind enough to bring with him in the satchel of weapons. Despite her petite frame, Hashimoto had no trouble picking up the heavy weight of her dead master and gracefully lowering him in the opening. Placing his head higher up in the grave she picked up the shovel and began to shovel the dirt back on top of him. When the deed had been done, she knelt beside the fresh dirt mound and whispered a silent prayer to the Gods. She was not a Hoshi or a Miko but she felt that it would be wise to give what little comments that she could to the Gods in hopes of allowing his spirit passing to the netherworlds.
Standing she retrieved the tools and bag, tying the parcel around her waist to hang off of one side. She had been trained now fully in all the ways of the kunoichi except for one simple problem that she never voiced.
What was her mission?
Each kunoichi that she had ever come in contact with and in every instruction taught to her had foretold of a key mission in which she had been trained for. But now, at an alarmingly old age, she was lost. She did not know what to expect, for without a mission, a kunoichi holds no purpose, and no honor.
Hiking back through the woods toward the village, she stopped off at the hut shared between Saionji and her. Setting down the bag, she located her small mat by the fireplace in the center of the room, and began to meditate. Hoping to find peace in the relaxation of her mind and spirit. In her minds' eye she could sense something important, something fighting to be seen. Squinting, she forced herself to locate it. In one second she saw only the darkness of her sub conscious mind, and in the next instant, she found herself surrounded by large creatures, all very noisy and terrifying. It was like being in the middle of a war in which the enemies where of unknown origin, or demons who are known to fight constantly among themselves.
Their eyes shone at Kiyoko, and their growls and whines caused her head to pound. She looked around desperately for a place to hide and assess her enemies. She located a large cave nestled between two tall trees that looked like they were dying. Screams of the wounded and drums from above and beyond the place of mortal existence resonated around her. Crouching down behind an oddly shaped boulder, she viewed her surroundings.
She discovered that she must be in a bog, or swamp, for the stench was overpowering. She heard voices behind her, turning quickly she reached to her side for her Kusari-Gama only to remember that she had taken it off before meditating. Her white and pink kimono was now dirty and her obi sash was starting to feel loose.
The voices behind her were hidden in the shadows from normal eyes, but she had worked extensively with the dark, and could see in it as well as daylight. The sight of what she saw caused her to take a defensive pose, even though her mind could still not register what it was seeing.
"Youkai! Youkai!" She suddenly didn't want to be here anymore, where ever 'here' was. The demons that she saw before her were large; two legged green things with shells on their backs. Kiyoko knew that she must have been having a vision sent from the Gods above, assuming that she was obviously in the underworld.
Trying what she could, she forced her body to open its eyes and break the spell. The demons were coming closer, and Kiyoko knew in an instant that they had spotted her.
"Youkai tondemoarimasen!" When she saw them quickly approaching, looking directly at her, she finally raised her hands up defensively, after all, a demon was immortal. And even her intensive training had not prepared her for this. "Youkai saru!"
She felt the one with the nun-chucks fingers brush her arm when she opened her eyes, and looked around in her own hut. Safe and sound, but the vision still lingered.
The Gods must have chosen to show me this for a reason. She thought. Standing, she decided to go and see the village Miko, in hopes that she could give Kiyoto the answers she needed.
TBC
Miko - Priestess
youkai - Full blooded demon
Tondemoarimasen - unexpected; offensive; outrageous; what a ting to say!; no way!
Youkai saru! - Demons, go away!
Geisha - A kind of female jester; a dancer, singer and entertainer. Usually a child is sold into the business before becoming a kunoichi.
Maiko - A geisha in training.
Kusari-Gama - A sickle weapon attached to a chain with a weight on the other end. Can be used as a chain whip or as a deadly weapon.
Bouj - Basically means sex, or lovemaking.
Websites used in writing the story: