AN- first- is the second repost of this story. I really happen to like it and am a sucker for reviews. Even flames are welcome, as long as they are constructive.
second- the Japanese in this is not perfect, but based, rather on my limited understanding of it. please be forgiving if I used some words and phrases incorrectly.
third- this is an edited edition where in I tried to be more consistent in my use of tenses when writing.
fourth- assume any conversation between the narrator and someone Japanese is in Japanese cause fanfiction won't allow those little side things like asterisks and the carrots and stuff. again, thanks for the understanding
fifth- sorry this took longer even if it is shorter. I got caught up in college stuff, and yes this is the third and final chapter. It seemed like a good place to leave off...
A Family in All But Blood Ch. 3
Wedding days...they're happy times when you marry the person that you love. At least that's what they're supposed to be. I mean I guess I'm happy; after all I am marrying someone I care deeply about. It's just that...well...I would have preferred to wait a few years.
The reason? Simple, I'm what, sixteen, almost seventeen? Wonderful... Please note the sarcasm, how can you miss it? It's practically dripping off my voice.
My friends have all been supportive but they aren't the ones getting married. That's my...well...not problem, but still...
Lets see...two weeks ago the a life I'd built for myself, by myself with no help in the United States crumbled around me in a matter of moments as I was helpless to stop it because of a simple fact. I already had a life and duty to fulfill and it wasn't in the US. It was in Japan. Not a nice or remotely pretty situation, but that's the reason behind the wedding, or at least that's what I thought.
There's more involved, something the current members of the family, and imperial cabinet, see inside me, something that gives them hope for the future. I'm hoping they're talking about more than my Mitsurugi Ryu, as my soon to be uncle so kindly put it.
On a completely, not random but unrelated topic, I hate suits; did I mention that?
Sighing I turn around to look at my reflection in the mirror.
"You look fine," Selena grins at me.
"Really?" I shoot a worried look at my best friend from the States.
"Yes, really, this has to be the first time I have ever seen you look even remotely worried, about anything, at all. Must be really important."
I try and smirk at her, it comes out as more of a pained grimace, "Yeah, I think getting married is only slightly serious, I'm really only there for the show, and the food."
"Oh come on. This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life."
"Really?" I glance skeptically at her.
"It might help if you kept telling yourself that."
"Gee, thanks..."
"No problem," Selena grins again.
"Can I be alone right now? I need to think things over."
"No problem, I understand." She hops lightly to her feet and leaves my room.
As she leaves the room I sigh and sit down heavily on the chair behind me. I can't believe I'm going to get married, to my oldest, and truest friend.
I never thought this would happen, not in my wildest daydreams, and yet when I look in her direction I feel something, seemingly nothing more than I have in the past...and yet...I don't know. It's like, when I look at her, I just...I don't know...I can't imagine my life without her again...is Akishino-san correct? Am I truly in love? Or am I merely trying to perceive a difference that does not truly exist?
It's not like anything I have ever felt before, ever. I don't know if it is love or just a renewed faith, a deep and unwavering affection and loyalty towards my truest friend.
If it is love, does love hurt this much all the time? Like a constant ache when you're not near the person you love, or is it different for each person?
There was this guy in America, at some assembly at Pine Groves High; he said that true love isn't when you can't stand not to be with a person, that it was more of a mutual understanding and respect and affection.
The entire time I sat through the assembly I couldn't help but think about what a load of bullshit it was. I couldn't believe how arrogant he was in presuming to tell us what true love was and is.
I didn't agree with him then and I still don't. No one can know what another feels or how true the feeling is. Even for myself, all I can truly tell is that I am about to marry my best friend, and become crown prince of Japan.
Wonderful.
At least the ceremony will be short...sorta.
We're having a "traditional" Shinto wedding. The reason is for the "traditional" Shinto wedding is that they have a short service, and despite the simple procedure, are full of a solemn atmosphere.
A Shinto wedding is performed before a Shinto sanctuary and is presided over by a Shinto priest. Such weddings are usually attended by members of both families and/or close relatives in addition to the couple to be married and the Nakodo. Not that there will be a Nakodo in this situation, what with there really being no Mi-Ai or anything.
Well, now it's time, the moment I have been dreading for almost a month, no more than a month... after all, why did I run away? ...is finally here and I can't back out now.
Not that I would want to.
I take a deep breath; everyone else has already entered and taken his or her seats inside the hall, the main shrine stands in front. A tamagushi-an is placed in front of the shrine. Apart from the tamagushi-an, there are two hassoku-dai.
Setsuna and my seats are in front of the hassoku-dai and behind them are usually the seats for the nakodo but there is no need for them since they were not needed in this match. Rows of seats for the relatives of both families are lined up along the right and the left walls of the room. One the right side, the groom's relatives sit, but my friends sit there instead since I have no legally recognized family in Japan...that actually exists in reality... Setsuna's family and relatives sit in the order of Father, Mother, brothers, etc, on the left.
I can hear the beginning of the ceremony as it is announced along with the slight rustle of movement as everyone stands with head slightly bowed, while the Shinto priest performs purification with the nusa and tamagushi.
This will be a small ceremony with only my friends and the imperial family are present, but the reception...the reception on the other hand will have as many dignitaries as there are provinces in the world, some minor and some major but most will probably only seek a chance to better themselves in the eyes of, as they see it, a future emperor.
I turn my head as I hear someone approach from behind and hear myself sharply inhale. My Hime stands in the doorway, dressed as is traditional, in perhaps the most colorful element of the wedding.
As I stare at her I realize I haven't let go of the breath I took when I saw her. Still looking at her with wonder I force myself to relax and exhale slowly.
The big kanzashi worn in her hair by my hime are done in the old fashion, hidden under the tsuno kakushi. It is meant to hide the tsuno since it is believed that all women have horns of jealousy, no comment on my part thank you very much, I didn't invent that part of the superstition. The uchikake worn over her colorful wedding kimono is incredibly exquisite, colored an icy blue with a simple yet delicate floral pattern covering the lower left corner trailing and evolving into a mythical dragon in the upper right done in silver stitching.
Here face betrays no expression in response to my surprise but her eyes dancing in merriment are enough to show that she enjoyed my momentary shock. As we begin our journey toward the alter, through the now open doors, a small smile playing on my lips to show her that I find this all slightly unnecessary. She responds in kind as if to say we must bear it, it will be over soon.
Soon we reach the shrine, we then bow twice, clap hands twice and bow once again together with the priest before talking our seats.
Now we sit before the priest, waiting to be purified along with all others in attendance. It is not a long process and is soon over with. The priest chants norito announcing our marriage to the god, while each attendant stands up with head slightly bowed.
Now it is time for the ceremony of san-san-kudo to begin.
A set of three-stacked cups on a sambo is brought to me. Slowly, with my hands sweaty and shaky from nervousness, I take the first cup with both hands, and sake is poured into the cup by the priest.
I then put my left hand on the bottom of the cup and right hand on the side of it lightly; drink the sake in three sips and puts the cup back. The cups on the sambo are brought to Setsuna where she also takes the first cup and drinks it in much the same way. The same cup is brought to me again and I repeat the action. Now the second cup is taken by my hime first and the actions are repeated. Then I take the third cup first, yet again. In this way, we exchange the cups, nine times in all.
The meaning is to form a stronger bond through exchanging the cups three times and sharing drink.
The next part, honestly I have no idea if it was a western modification or not, and I strongly suspect the former was but what am I gonna do about it? I'm not exactly in a great position at the moment to contend a marriage tradition.
The next part is the exchanging of rings.
I take out a ring from my pocket and she from within the folds if her kimono.
The ring I give to her is a simple design, as is hers, two gold bands but the rings we exchanged in private the night before were a bit more intricate.
My gift to her was a small ring, however its design was that a small dragon writhing around her finger to form the band, in its forepaws a tiny bead, a pearl.
One I found when I lived with Maria in America. We were visiting 'our' relatives in Hawai'i and had gone diving off the cost of Kaua'i searching for possible pearls in oysters for the fun of it. I was the only one to find a pearl that day, even though is was quite small.
When I returned to Japan I gave it to a respected jeweler with specific instructions on what I wanted done to the ring. It is one of a kind, made specifically for her.
Her gift of a ring was a band of yellow gold, and not white, as the ring I gave to her was. On its top is engraved a tiger and on the inside is a short tanka.
It reads:
"Ikuru to wa
Ai ni kokoro wo
Kudaku koto
Kuchiawasu koto wa
Shinata wo ayumu"
otherwise translated as:
"To live is to break
One's heart for the sake of love;
A couple of doves,
Beaks touching on their way,
Are stepping out in the sun."
Interesting, although I have an idea as to what she is trying to tell me the true meaning remains a secret. After all the mysteries of a women's mind are just that...mysteries.
I know many people are always saying they want to unravel that mystery but knowing my friends and hime as I do, I think it might be safer not to.
I turn a face Setsuna slightly, and open my mouth to speak my oath of faithfulness, like the western style weddings we vow to be faithful and obedient. Okay, so we took a few liberties here and wrote our own vows into this wedding. We each had things we wanted to say before others and, we still kept it mostly Shinto and not Christian.
"In this moment we stand before each other, prepared to take the next step in life. To protect and serve my hime has always been my sworn duty and I shall not fail, now or ever, so I will take another vow, to be faithful as I have ever been obedient to her wishes since my earliest memories."
Briefly I lock eyes with my hime before she speaks her vows, and the words come, words that are not familiar to her.
"Since I was a child I have been told that there would be one to guide and protect me in all that I would do. Now I find that those words spoken in all seriousness at the time have taken on a new meaning as my childhood 'prince charming' has become as real as all children wish their dreams to be. I too shall be as obedient and faithful in this new stage of life as I have been in the past, more so than my shinobi has ever been or ever will be."
I meet Setsuna's eyes once more and I see, to my shock, tears once more threatening to overwhelm her defenses.
Silently we turn toward the priest, our vows said and done, we proceed into the sanctuary of the shrine; there we offer twigs from the sakaki to the gods, in hopes that they will bless our union. Before we go back to our seats we bow twice, clap hands twice and bow once again to the shrine.
That ends the main part of the wedding, all that is left now is the reception and for Setsuna's relatives in attendance and my family to exchange drinks to signify the our union. Since I have no living or known relatives, with the exception of Maria and my adoptive family in the US, my friends stand in their place.
I suspect it is a good thing that most of my friends drink already or we might have a slight problem with the alcohol.
Now, it's on to what, from all appearances, is seemingly going to be one hell of a reception.
During the course of the reception my Hime will be led out to change her dress with the second wedding kimono being different in design and color but just as beautiful and elaborate as the first one.
The tsuno kakushi and uchikake are no longer worn, so as to exhibit the bride more fully in all that she is. The bridal dresses are sometimes handed down in the family or made into futon. I think that this particular kimono was made especially for her, in order to bring out her eye color, an impressive gray-blue. Unusual for many Japanese people but it has a tendency to crop up now and then.
As for myself I will change into something more comfortable. Actually, it's a version of my shinobi outfit, but with more of a samurai look to it. You know the whole hakama, keikogi, and obi deal. The shinobi outfit is worn underneath. The colors are a simple deep blue for the keikogi and white for the hakama.
As I walk into the reception room, Setsuna's arm hooked through mine, many of the delegates come up, offering packets of money, not that we need it or really want it, but it is traditional and a sign of congratulations.
Smiling politely I glance back at the doorway to see Maria and my in-laws greeting the coming guests, as is customary, bidding them welcome. Setsuna and I should be sitting at a reception desk to receive the packets of money but we would both rather move around, sitting still something we both try to avoid, if at all possible and no one is going to correct us unless their drunk or just stupid, probably drunk though. Although, considering some of the people sent here as delegates or simply are here, stupid may be a reason as well.
Besides, friends work just as well and Shaun and Selena can be officious and pompous with the best of them, no offense they're just good at it. After Shaun, Selena is the best B.S. artist among our friends, so they should have a blast at answering any questions.
For now we have a few hours until the actual banquet where the guests will mingle and talk, just having fun or, more likely, trying to pry state secretes out of each other, I know I would be and probably will be later on.
Since this wedding is such a big international deal, what with the laws being changed and everything, besides the whole claim issue, there are many dignitaries from nations across the world, all of whom I will be obliged to speak with at some point this evening and all shall fall prey to my skill.
No, actually I'm not being cocky; I just have confidence in my skill.
Right now though I have a particular dignitary to entertain, one George W. Bush, president of the United States of America, charbroiled for one coming right up. I never liked him; even while I lived in the U.S. and now that I stand in almost complete equality withy him in terms of political policy...add in the fact that he has to know I look exactly like a Ken Toriad who no longer exists...this is going to be fun.
Smiling in anticipation I offer my arm once more to my hime and prepare to enter the fray.
"Hey, Kenshin?"
"Huh?" Setsuna and I turn around to see my friends standing there. "What's up?"
Cristin replies, "All the guests have arrived and the doors are closed so we were kinda unsure what to do. I mean, none of us has ever really been in the presence of any one of any significance in the world, except you and your now family, but they were really nice. How are we supposed to act? What are we supposed to do?"
I smirk, "Well, you can mingle and make it generally known that you have my utmost trust and are my closest confidences, then see what happens. This is politics so things will probably get interesting as people associate closeness to a position of power with the power itself.
"One thing though, please keep your acceptance of bribes to a minimum and make sure you can complete your end of the bargain. Politics is just a legal version of the mob and I don't want any of you turning up dead one day...
"Now if you'll excuse me, your president is in attendance. I think I should walk over and entertain myself by baiting him into a verbal sparring session. Maybe I will get a few more state secrets out of him at the same time. Anyone care to join me?"
Selena returns my smirk, "Love to."
"Same here," Shaun winks at me.
"Well, I do not believe it matters," Setsuna motions to the other side of the room. "Like it or not,"
"Definitely not," Cristin mutters.
"He is headed our way, so play nice."
I look over; we have a minute or two. He's still on the other side of the room.
"Whoopie," a sudden light enters Selena's eyes. "He's probably read the reports on us but he can't prove anything since you deleted you records from the US data banks."
"How did...?"
Shaun smirked slightly, "I traced you, with a program Xiao created for me a while back."
I groan in mock dismay, "I should have guessed. You and him, does he know?"
"No, he got rid of the program after he gave it to me, and I mean got rid of, everything he used to make it is gone, nothing can be traced back to him. He just got accepted into MIT on a full scholarship. He's not going to give that up for a program, no matter how good it is."
"Probably not," I nod to the French dignitary as we pass by. "At any rate I'll check later, just to make sure. We don't need them tracing it back to you through any means."
Setsuna looks slightly worried though, "Are you sure no one can trace him, he got rid of it all?"
"Yeah, I didn't actually trace him then either. The program is a spider, it weaves a web of connections and alarms throughout, ah, shall we say various non-public resources, then searches for anything abnormal on the network that's it's created, and reports them immediately. Anybody that sees the program running just sees another connection, like another server at work, so it camouflages itself at the same time. All I really do is watch, then I have to interpret, which is what I do best, putting thing together."
"You mean aside from random political speculation?" Cristin grins at Shaun, he returns the look.
"So you didn't actually know it was me?" I give him a sharp look.
"Nope, I only knew that someone went through a lot of trouble to access the government databanks only to delete a single file."
"Can anyone else tell what I did?"
"Doubt it," Shaun smiles. "You were very good. The program you left in place is an impressive piece of work. The way it's set up, they won't notice anything's wrong until they try to open it, and even then unless they look closely they won't be able to tell that anything is missing."
"Why not?" Elizabeth looks interested.
"The virus,"
"Virus?"
Shaun gives her an annoyed look, "Yeah, the one we were just discussing? Anyway, the virus that he introduced, and I'm betting, created just for this purpose, is a chameleon. It not only camouflages it's self as it works but it also leaves a mirror image of the data in its place. Any one who takes a look won't notice anything unless they try to change the file."
"How do you know all this?"
"I didn't, I suspected but until you just confirmed everything it was all speculation from what I saw and could deduce."
"Typical Shaun," Selena shakes her head. "Wanna tell us next time when you're not certain?"
"Nope."
"Didn't think so."
As I spot President Bush, now closer than the other side of the room, I motion for my friends to be quiet, thank goodness the room is crowded and it took him a while to get here. I don't approach him directly; rather I make sure he notices me and simply wait for him to come over to where I stand while my friends stand, discreetly but still in plain view off to the side.
"Ah, Mr. Kenshin."
His translator sighs in annoyance as he translates for the president. Obviously he thinks the president's need for a person to translate for me more than slightly stupid. I give him a warning glance and he loses the look.
"Mr. George," mocking him slightly by returning his inaccurate form of address as I nod my head slightly to acknowledge his presence, but giving off an air that suggests to most people I have something more important than them on my mind.
He bristles slightly, as much from the correction as from my attitude I suspect. Some men just can't handle being ignored.
Then, in a surprised tone he replies, "You understand English?"
"Obviously, of course I do. I study many languages and am fluent in four, including dum..." Setsuna poked me in my ribs, "Ass I was saying I speak English, very well."
He looks slightly taken aback, which is fine with me, "Congratulations on your marriage."
"Thank you for your interest," I look him in the eyes, "I heard you had an interesting incident a few weeks ago. Something involving a high school fight that got out of hand?"
"Ah, yes..." he clears his throat uncomfortably as he looks at my face rather closely. "That...uh...unfortunate incident occurred without any apparent provocation. It wasn't really a fight as an attack on our liberty, the liberty of our people, on the liberty of my country."
"Your country?" I give him a mildly curious look.
"I am president."
"Of course, go on."
He glance irritably in the direction of my friends, I look over and see them chatting away as if they haven't a care in the world. Occasionally one looks over and then as they turn back they laugh slightly.
I think he's getting rather annoyed at them since he can't do a thing about them being here and he can't officially prove I did anything to their data base, even if they've discovered what I've done by now.
Clearing his throat he continues, "We managed to find out who was involved in the fight, a high school junior known as Ken to his friends, Ken Toriad. Actually, we even had his friends tracked down, to try and get information out of them."
I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Tracked them down for information?"
A single question and all that it implies is obvious enough for the president of the United States of America to understand, even without the vice president whispering answers in his ears.
Uncomfortably the President clears his throat, "Well he did assault an officer and it was only to see if they knew anything, but apparently none of them did, which was strange, how could someone with such abilities go unnoticed? Someone with those skills always wants to be recognized as special."
"Maybe you would want to be recognized but not everyone does, not everyone is power hungry, as many leaders of the world are."
"I suppose so," for a moment he is off balanced.
He really isn't good at thinking on his feet is he? Without his support staff he can't seem to answer any of my questions or respond to my comments with any sort of coherence.
Sigh, this is no fun. I didn't expect it to be very challenging but this is a complete waste of my time. I suppose I should end this soon any way. I do have other things to do.
"Now may I ask who those young children are?" his question redirects my attention back towards him. "And what they are doing at such an exclusive event?"
"Of course, one may always ask..." I incline my head slightly.
"Ken-kun!" My hime looks disapprovingly in my direction.
"Gomenasai, anata." I turn back to the US President. "They are friends of mine, from your country I believe."
"How did you meet them?" he seems truly interested in the answer. I'm sure he is, and for all the right reasons.
"I don't believe that's any of your business, Mr. President. Besides I don't see why you should care," if he's tried to change the file on Ken Toriad then I have him and he knows it...then again, maybe he doesn't. He doesn't have the vice president whispering in his ear at the moment so as to better help him correct his mistakes or speak for him. "However if it really matters to you, I met them online, posing as a common teenager in Japan. It was an attempt to be normal, to see the world through a different set of eyes. We exchanged the normal courtesies, you know, traded photos and such and then they saw the news. From there the rest was, as they say, history.
"Again, was there a specific reason you should care?"
If he is aware of how dangerous this situation is for him then can't say that he thinks they're the same friends he questioned because that would say that he thinks I'm the same person as Ken Toriad, who he doesn't have any proof exists anymore. His response will tell me what I need to know.
"No real reason," replies Bush lamely.
"Okay, well, I'm going to have some intelligent conversations with other foreign officials now."
"Of course," Bush responds stiffly. He appears to be getting even more uncomfortable by the moment, seems he doesn't take well to being insulted. Or maybe intelligent people that aren't on his side of the fence make him nervous...? Or maybe he simply sucks as a conversationalist when it comes to politics or the mistakes of his administration...? I don't really care.
Without another word I walk to my friends and we make our way to the other side of the room.
"What happened?" Dave asked.
"I realized just how much like a monkey your president looks."
"Kenshin..." Maria looks annoyed with me.
I sigh in slight exasperation, "Tell you in a minute, Setsuna-kun is now engaged in conversation with the president so I'll see what she gets. Then we'll talk. For now, like I said before just mingle. Feel free to make sure everyone knows you guys are my friends and have some fun."
"Okay, common ya'll," laughing slightly, everyone follows Elizabeth.
As they leave Setsuna walks over to my side, reaching out to link arms.
"Find out anything?"
"Yes, the president is a fool, not like his father at all who was actually a smart man. Bush has abandoned the hope of getting world support for his invasion of Iraq but he's still confident he can win the war without help. Also, he knows who you are, at least he suspects,"
"I thought as much," I nod my head.
Setsuna continues, "and he may be planning something for your friends when they return to the US. After that, he doesn't like you very much. Oh, and he'll be trying to find out how you fight from the Japanese representatives here. He wants to be able to train a special force in America like you."
I snort in disdain, "He can try but nobody but only Maria and I know anything about the style, since my master is dead. He won't succeed."
"Fine with me, but what about when they return to the US?"
"He can't touch them without proof, and if he gives any of them any trouble I will personally take out every last one of him and his supporters, and I'm not talking about killing them either."
"That's what I would expect from you, nothing less," Setsuna kisses me lightly on the lips before walking off to speak with more delegates.
Wordlessly I gaze after her, my hand reaching to my lips where she kissed me. That's the second time, what if...
Several hours later, and more than a few dignitaries, and another 'sparring' session with George W. Bush, it is finally time for the banquet.
As prepare we sit down I hear Shaun, Selena, and Maria arguing, apparently none of them wants to give the speech required as they are my best friends and the guests of honor.
"For god's sake," Maria groans.
"Oh no, not for my sake," Shaun grins a bit shakily as he tries to ease all of their nerves. He's more comfortable observing and analyzing political functions than actually participating in them.
"We'll all just get up and say a little something about him, but we have to be careful not to say anything about how we know him from America."
"Yeah," Selena nods seriously. "We know."
"Okay, so what are we supposed to say?" Shaun asks.
"I don't know," Maria gives him an exasperated look. "You're the best BS artist among us. Can't you make something up?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"Wait, whose gonna translate?"
"Maria speaks Japanese," said Selena volunteers my sister rather quickly.
"That's right, Kenshin taught her when they were younger," Shaun nods his head. That's two against one. How amusing.
"Good, she can translate for us and the peoples translators can translate for them."
"Okay, are we good?" Maria shakes her head in mock disgust.
"Good? What is this 'good'?" Selena grins.
Shaun rolls his eyes, "Yes, yes."
"Shut-up, we have to go on now."
I smile to myself; this ought to be interesting.
"Um, welcome to our friends wedding, friends, family and foreign dignitaries. My name is Shaun and I am one of three guests of honor at this momentous occasion."
Maria steps forward and begins to speak Japanese flawlessly, "We bid you welcome family, friends, and foreign dignitaries. Boku no namae wa Shaun desu. I am one of three guests of honor at this momentous occasion."
Selena steps forward to announce herself, "I am Selena and this is Maria. The three of us would just like to congratulate our friend, Kenshin on his joyous union."
"Watashi wa Selena desu soshite, are wa Maria desu. We three would simply like to congratulate our dear friend's as they bask in the admiration and joy of being married."
Shaun resumes his speaking, "We are honored to speak in our joy and wish them many years of happiness as well as many healthy children."
I glance at my hime as she hears Shaun's last remark. Her eyes darken slightly but not too much as she understands he is just teasing us, albeit a bit formally.
"Watashi-tachi are honored to speak in our joy and wish many years of happiness upon this blessed couple as well as many healthy children."
Finally Maria speaks for herself, "Kosei desu, as both tomodachi soshite ane of the groom, to be here. I am pleased that ones such as yourselves have an opportunity for happiness and happiness should not be wasted, no matter what form it comes in. Please, eat, drink and be merry..." she looks directly at President Bush as she says the last part.
Gee, I wonder if he or any of the other dignitaries know how the saying ends. "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we shall die." Oh well, its their lose if they don't.
Looking a little more than slightly relieved my sister and friends step down from the podium and take they're seats by my wife and I.
"I can't believe you made us do that!" Maria hisses at me. "I have never been so nervous in my entire life.
"So? It's over now isn't it?"
"That's not the point!"
"Then what?" I tilt me head at her.
"Never mind."
Dave looks at me with curiosity, "Kenshin, what exactly is the position of emperor to Japan anyway? It seems pretty important."
"No, it's not important at all," Shaun rolls his eyes.
"Actually," Setsuna responds, ignoring Shaun, "it's not really all that powerful, at least in political matters.
"The Emperor performs those acts in matters of state which are provided for in the Constitution. Like appointing the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, attesting the appointment of Ministers of State and some other high officials, promulgating..."
"Wait," Dave looks confused, "promulgating? What does that mean?"
Shaun smirks, "It means publicizing, you know, making generally known?"
"Any way, promulgating laws and treaties, awarding honors and attesting to the credentials of ambassadors as well as receiving foreign ambassadors. However, in these matters of state, he acts on the advice and approval of the Cabinet."
"Kind of like the president?" asks Jess.
"Kinda, but he has more power over the people, well, maybe not power, power but I guess you could say they have more belief in him. I'm not quite sure how to explain it," Setsuna shakes her head in frustration.
"How about this," I smirk at Setsuna slightly, "since I'm a 'commoner', so to speak, I might have a better idea. The people...during WWII we, that is, they saw the current emperors father as a god, someone who would do no wrong, could do no wrong. As far as I can tell, that opinion hasn't changed a whole lot in the last sixty years or so. Well, maybe it's gone down a little but not so you'd really notice. I guess you could say he's a figure of public unity more than anything else but the position demands respect even if it has lost much of its previously perceived power."
"Oh," Dave sits back to mull over this information for a while.
"Hey!" Selena looks closely at the celery sticks on her plate, "What exactly is on these things? Kenshin, is it wasabi?"
"Shhh," I put my finger to my lips, a smile struggling to make its way across my features.
"It is isn't it?" her look is triumphant.
"What is wasabi?" Ariel look is a curious one while Maria rolls her eyes with resignation.
"Just try it," Maria told her. "It's like nothing you've ever had before. I guarantee it." She made a face, "Now I sound like a TV commercial."
Suddenly Jess starts having a coughing fit across the table.
"Hey, are you okay?" Dave looks at her worriedly.
At the same time every other one of my friends at the table looks at her with concern.
Apparently unable to speak Jess just nods and steals his water, gulping it down in a matter of seconds. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" she yells, or rather, tries to. It comes out in more of a hoarse whisper.
"The celery," Setsuna calmly informs them, "is coated in wasabi, a rather harsh horse radish mustard." Smiling she puts a large piece in her mouth with her chopsticks, calmly chewing and swallowing. "Bet none of you can hold it down better than her."
Off course none of them can resist the challenge, and soon everyone but Maria and Selena and my hime, who have eaten it before, are emptying the pitchers of water in front of them.
"I tried to warn them," Maria attempting to shrug her shoulders, her barely contained laughter warring with her ability to do so.
"Ya'll told us no such thing," Elizabeth points an accusing finger at us.
"Did too."
"No, ya'll didn't!"
"We did!"
"Ah can prove ya'll didn't!"
"How?"
"Ya said 'it's like nothin' ya'll've ever had before. Ah guarantee it.'"
"I was trying to warn you."
"You didn't see her smirking?" Selena grinned.
"..." Elizabeth just stared at her.
"Forget it you guys," I look pointedly at them all. "Don't get into an argument on my wedding day."
"They're not arguing," Jessica glances sardonically at me, "they're having a friendly conversation."
I return her look, "Of course..."
So, this is the wedding night.
Silently I stare out of the window. It is the same as that night, during my last winter back in Japan after I left those many years ago.
It's snowing.
Perhaps it seems a trivial thing to notice, even if it is rather odd and early at this time of year in early November, but it adds to the ambience of the castle and I like it.
To my left my wife sleeps silently, hopefully undisturbed by my midnight musings. I smile gently as I turn my gaze from the window to her sleeping form. Her breath is slow and regular, unbroken as her chest rises and falls comfortably.
One may find it odd but I take a great, yet simple pleasure in watching her, whether she is sleeping, or not. Her presence and the sight of her, it suffuses me with joy I cannot truly describe, nor do I believe I need to.
Things have changed, for my friends as well as myself. I believe that we are no longer the people that we were. The Selves of today are different, different from even our Selves of a few weeks ago.
I find this thought to be disconcerting as well as strangely satisfying. After all, what is life but a constant of change? We all change after every experience we have, however minute. In such an idea it would follow that my friends will now go back to their old lives changed by their knowledge.
On the other hand reality of a different sort sets in as I realize that my friends are most likely not to be to be drastically changed by what they know. From what I've seen my friends, in particular Selena and Elizabeth as well as my sister haven't really changed their views of me in the least.
Rather for Selena and Maria I believe that this entire situation has cleared up a few questions they had about me.
And then there is Elizabeth; she seems entirely unaffected by any of the recent happenings.
Completely jaded, if I had to describe her that would be a good description. Nothing fazes her, at least on the surface.
I suppose what I would normally say is that it doesn't matter, but it does. This time is different, there is a reason I brought them all to Japan. To live life with no regrets is an impossibility but to make sure ones has as few as possible is a worthy goal. That is my end, what I wish to achieve.
When the final parting of ways comes I believe that I will have no regrets and so I am happy in that fact alone. I have settled my differences with my friends, whatever they were and in whatever form they appeared.
Closure, as they say, has been reached.
"I can believe you guys are leaving?" Maria looks sadly at her friends. "We haven't even been here that long."
"We have been here two weeks already," Ariel puts her hand on Maria's shoulder. "Do not worry; we'll keep in contact through e-mail and stuff."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Hey, don't sweat it," Jess grins. "You'll have some great adventures if you stay here."
"And you guys at W.E.U. won't? Thanks, but I'll miss it all the same."
"No one said not to miss it, just don't dwell on it," Dave gives her a serious look.
"Right."
Grinning Shaun walks up behind them completely ignoring the conversation already in progress. "I had no idea Japan could be so fun. I guess even God can learn something new."
"Shaun!" Ariel groans.
"What?"
"Nothing much, you just realize that you are not God," Jess hits him playfully in the shoulder.
In two weeks these people, my friends from the US, who had for the most part never met before, have bonded and become friends in their own right. I'm glad.
"I'm not?"
"Nope."
I groan inwardly, at this point I can't wait for them to leave. I love them all very dearly as friends, but I've as much constant contact with them as I can take at one time. I just want them too get on the plane so I can get away and spend time with my Hime. I haven't truly spent time with her alone since they got here.
But Maria will be staying as our parents agreed to let her. At least I'll be able to keep in contact with them, for a little while anyway.
I can feel my eyes glistening as the plane takes off, taking with it my only true friends. I feel someone put their hand on my shoulder; I ignore them, my eyes still on the departing plane.
Silently I laugh at myself, a feeling of nostalgia warring with self-intrigue. I don't even know who I am anymore. Time was when I only had to listen to myself, use my wits to survive on the streets of Tokyo.
"Ahah ha! Arigato, Ojii-san!"
"Oi, gaki! Get back here with my money!"
Things weren't ever great then but they weren't as complicated either. But then, they weren't that complicated later on either, not even when I began my training to protect my hime.
"Sloppy! I know you can do better, you level of potential is higher than possibly even myself."
"Hai, hai...I'll surpass you one day. Then you'll be sorry..."
"Enough talk! Again!"
Then all I had to do was listen to my sensei and things were fine. I didn't have any friends but it didn't matter. I didn't need any, until I met my hime, and she changed my view on the subject. She became my first true friend.
"Come on..."
"But...Hime...!"
"What?"
"I'm gonna be late for class."
"So what? The winter festival only comes once a year and you said you wanted to go. Hurry and change."
"But..."
"This was you idea to change into commoner clothes, not mine. Now if we don't hurry we'll miss the start!"
"Did I not mention 'class'?"
"Yes, why?"
"You have none."
"What?"
"Never mind, hurry or we'll be late."
If only I hadn't made that promise when I was eight, then I wouldn't have had to run away and things would have been simple. Well simpler...still running away wasn't the worst decision ever. I met Maria in America, and we became family.
"Hi."
"Konnichiwa."
"Right, umm, hi..."
"Oh, sorry. Hi."
"You don't have to talk in Japanese you know.
"I know, but sometimes I slip,"
"In fact, I can't even understand you when you do that."
"I said sorry... Maria?"
"Hm?"
"Will you teach how to be...how to act around other people, so I don't scare them away?"
"Japanese."
"Excuse me?"
"Japanese."
"I hear that the first time. What's your point?"
"I'll teach you how to socialize correctly if you teach me,"
"If I teach you Japanese...? Deal..."
So we taught each other and became friends in the process. By the time I entered my first year in high school I was normal, kind of. I had friends at least. But it was W.E.U. that truly taught me to emerge from my reentry into being emotionless.
"This will be the circle of mending hearts. We will start it as we start all our fires, with an offering to the four spirit keepers. However first we need to realize that sometime you need to see the problem before you can fix it. Nature is like that, and so are our hearts..."
In one summer there I learned more about who I was and who I could be than anywhere else. I didn't lose the ability to repress my emotions but I did ease up a bit on the fact.
"What happened over the summer?"
"Not much, I went to camp, same as you. Naze ka"
"I don't know you just seem different, more open or something."
I made more friends, and things went back to being simple. Then my hime showed up and I came back to Japan, agreed to be married to her, and invited my friends over for a visit.
"Don't worry."
"Why not? You guys are leaving tomorrow."
"But we'll always be friends. Even if we never see each other again. That's what being friends means."
"..."
"Ya didn't think we'd give ya up that's easily did ya?"
"Well..."
"Never mind, Kenshin. We'll remember you, forever."
"Trust God and his loyal servants, okay? We know what we're talking about."
"Whose a loyal servant!?!"
"...mina-san..."
They only just left and yet their voices echo in my mind, memories of times longs past. Almost as if I shall never see them again, and as I think about it I won't, they are of a life I am no longer part of.
Thoughts of them shall only sever as a distraction. Until Maria leaves in a few years, that's the longest I have. When the time comes I'll have to sever all connections.
Silently I turn and leave the airfield; my sister and wife have already left. Still lost in thought I walk to the shadows and leave for the castle. There is much to do, in very little time.
But the question still eats at me, who am I?
I feel like my character floats around aimlessly, changing on the situation. My past, maybe I can't look at it to see who I am. People are constantly changing and whether or not I was a child who could only look on in stony silence or a prodigy assassin in the past, or even a friend to people in America, being almost normal.
None of it matters, I mean it does, it all helped shape who I am today but...then...what am I now?
I am...who I am has changed, that much is clear. Even in the last two weeks, actually, more so in the last two weeks. It's like I was killing my relations in the west. When I deleted the files of my life in America I got rid of the final anchor in America. I think bringing my friends here simply reinforced that idea. Like I was showing them who I was here so I could remove myself from their lives with no regrets.
I can't go back to being an emotionless person, ever. But I am still a kid, open to change. I still posses the skills of the hitokiri although I now know what it is to be a friend. I guess I am normal, well as normal as anyone ever is. Still able to suppress them but now more willing to be open with my emotions, less afraid of being hurt.
I am who I am and if I ever truly figure it out, then I may be one of the few who ever do so.
"Your turn. Now you try." I turn my gaze to Maria, having just finished a demonstration of the next technique she has to learn. It happens to be a step towards mastering my personal favorite.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Battou-jutsu!"
In an instant Maria strikes out with her katana. The battou-jutsu is the fastest of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu techniques and strikes with the full speed of the school. However, it is possible to dodge if one knows what to expect.
Once she perfects the technique it will be transformed into the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, Sou Ryu Sen in which one strikes with the swords slash and then brings the sheath around as well. If the blade is dodged the sheath is not. All techniques of the Mitsurugi Ryu are two step attacks which leave no chance for defense.
She may or may not, in the end, achieve the level of speed needed to perform the Ougi. Plus, she may not be able to tread that line between life and death with such precision. And if she does, will she be able to attempt to take my life to master the school of ken-jutsu? Only time will tell.
I point to a group of men climbing out of a window two stories above us, "They're all yours."
"Gee, thanks, otooto-chan."
Time to see what she can do after a few years of training. There are three of them, each armed, a knife at least, probably one of them has a gun. Typical robbers.
I step out of the way into the shadows.
As the robbers attempt to leave the scene of the crime Maria lands in front of them, punching the first one to reach her.
"Give up yet?" Maria smiles.
"Hah!" The punks laugh derisively. "Why don't you run while you have the chance little girl?"
"Run away?" She smirks. "Sorry, not my style."
The robber in the front sneers confidently and promptly finds himself saying hello to the nearest wall, thanks to an aerial roundhouse in the face. Except he never meets with his date, he runs into another problem first, two actually.
A neat fist in the stomach followed by another ax kick to the face. Gee but I hope purple's his favorite color.
The two other punks rush her, knives drawn. Maria doesn't even blink, a smooth round off turned into a split kick to their faces before landing knocks them both on their butts, hard. Still in motion she draws her blade and flips into the air as they get up, trying to figure out what she did.
Too late they notice the shadow above them, and that's all they see, as she strikes downward with all possible strength in her arms.
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ryu Tsui Sen!"
As soon as the strike is complete, before the final thief can even register her presence she strikes again, this time with an upward stroke, "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ryu Shou Sen!"
They drop as fast as the first and probably harder. They should consider themselves lucky out school uses sakabatou in current times.
"How was that?" She looks at me with no emotion on her face other than curiosity. She is simply awaiting my critique.
Or she seems to be, her eyes dance with hidden excitement and pleasure.
"Not bad, for a first try." I'm baiting her, as I would have when we were really brother and sister by U.S. law.
She smiles knowingly and bites, "Not bad? You couldn't do any better, otooto. Care to test me?"
I nod, this is what will truly tell me her skill, a no hold barred match till one falls, unable to fight any longer or asks for mercy. She will not ask for mercy and neither will I.
Here I come, sister, are you ready? With your refusal to learn the Mitsurugi Ryu past the Ku Zu Ryu Sen, can you stand a chance? We shall see.
I do not smile as I watch Maria board her plane. There is no need or reason to. She has grown to be so much more than she was since she originally came to Japan and began to train three years ago. She has learned much but changed even more.
Gone are her innocent eyes of the sister I once knew. In their stead are eyes that have seen and done much, the eye of a war veteran.
Gone are the filled in features of her high school year. Now she is a lean fighter on par with the best in the world. Few can compare yet her final test now approaches.
Gone is her easy laughter from her youth. I see it when we hunt the criminals of Tokyo; she has learned take pleasure in the hunt. Her newfound joy of the fight wars with her sense of right and wrong.
I have a simple question that only you can answer nee-chan.
Will you be the ultimate street fighter or the journalist you always wanted to be? The choice is yours.
Will you fight to the death? Or will you fight to improve, teach, and learn?
Our ryu was originally founded to kill to protect the weak. That basic concept has not changed in over a three hundred years of battle but our motivation has.
You and I, we do not fight to kill. It's not who we are, we fight to find out why we fight, to prove that we need not kill to be truly strong.
Those who fight for pride and to kill will ultimately lose their life in battle to those they cannot win against. Fight for what you believe in and no fight is a loose. Remember that...
I have severed the last ties to my relations in the west, and now I am who I am, free to live as I have chosen, free to be emperor when my time comes, with no regrets or unfinished business.
Sayonara nee-chan, mina-san...we shall not meet again.
Terms used-
Boku no namae wa Shaun desu- My name is Shaun
Futon- bedding or mattress
Gomenasai, anata- I'm sorry, dear
Hakama- split skirt trousers
Hassoku-dai- a table with eight legs
Keikogi- a heavy weight jacket worn tucked in
Kanzashi- ornaments
Kosei desu- I am honored
Mi-Ai- Japanese courtship
Nakodo- matchmakers
Nusa- paper wand
Norito- prayers
Obi- belt
Otooto- little brother
Sakaki- sacred tree
San-san-kudo- exchanging nuptial cups of sake
Sambo- wooden tray with a stand
Sayonara- goodbye
Shinobi- ninja
Tamagushi- sacred branch
Tamagushi-an- a table for sacred branches
Tanka- a popular form of Japanese poetry. It is known for its simplistic yet meaningful verses - with its lyrical words reminiscent of a melody or a tune when cited. Its distinction is its composition of 31 total syllables, which follow a 5-7-5-7-7 pattern when broken down. Note: the tanka in the story is a variation as it follows a 5-7-5-8-7 pattern of syllables.
Tomodachi soshite ane- friend and elder sister
Tsuno Kakushi- hood
Tsuno- horns
Uchikake- gown
Watashi wa Cristin desu soshite, are wa Maria desu- I am Cristin and this is Maria
Watashi-tachi- We