(Disclaimer: I do not own YST nor RW, they are owned by Sunrise. Neither do I own the characters of the original series.)
(Author's Notes: Please, DON'T BLAME ME if some of the details are insufficient, since I had never seen the entire series before. I'm just fascinated over the series, that's why. Some of the characters added are of my own and not related to other anime, in short, ORIGINAL. So please, enjoy reading and review it! This is my first taste of writing fanfiction, and I'm not too good at English, so please BEAR WITH ME...)
SAMURAI PHANTOM REKKA: CHAPTER ONE
Prologue: Not Again...
It was 400 years after the Legendary Samurai named Kaos sealed all the so-called 100 Onis and all put in a medium-sized semi-jeweled golden box. The Cursed Box, which it was popularly known, was kept safely in a little shrine in a dense forest northeast of Japan, so that it would bring no harm to anything or anyone ever again.
Kaos, along with his loyal companion, a white Siberian tiger, had received immortality from the higher deities because of their undisputed victory with Arago, the demon samurai and overlord of the Evil Dynasty who created the onis. After years of struggle and triumph, the Legendary Samurai finally decided to retire to be a wandering monk since 400 years the Mortal World had experience peace and tranquility.
A year later, his last descendant, the beautiful priestess Kayura, was sent to the dense forest where the Cursed Box was kept for years to cleanse it as its final ritual in order for all the onis to be put in eternal sleep. The high priests and Kaos warned her NOT to open it or it will cause another chaos. Kayura, still in-training to be a priestess, has no knowledge of the past about Arago nor the onis to keep her safe and also for the good of mankind, but still proceeded to the ritual. Together with five high priests, they went to the forest where the shrine of the Cursed Box is stationed. Kaos didn't join them for he was at the middle of patrolling with his pet tiger.
Upon entering the shrine, she felt a strange, yet powerful aura luring her to come to the site of the box closer. Upon seeing the box at its most protective state, the aura lured her more to touch it, but she tried to overcome the temptation to OPEN the box. The ritual began with a sacred chant. At first, she tried to control herself against temptation through concentration and Kaos' words, but...
Open it... a soft, enchanting voice of a woman echoed in the ceremonial wall where no one could hear except her, Open it, Kayura... and a beautiful future shall be yours...
"...A beautiful future...?", Kayura still in hesitation, "But Kaos has just..."
What's wrong in the box, then? The voice asked in more alluring tone, Tell me... Did your Great Ancestor told you not to open the box?
"Well..." seemed ignorant of the real reason, "He didn't... Not yet..."
Not yet?
"He promised me to tell everything after the ceremony... I'm sorry, but I have to..."
Why do you think he didn't tell you in the first place?
Kayura paused wide-eyed. The voice was right. Why is it that he doesn't want to tell her about it earlier? Even the high priests were silent for the truth. Is this a way to protect her from anything that might happen? Or maybe because...
Is it because... the voice again, They DON'T trust you?
Kayura's face turned into disbelief. Seemed in shocked about what the voice had told her, "It's... a lie, isn't it?"
If it is a lie, it replied, then I will not tell you about it...
"STOP IT!" and she cupped her ears as shut as she could to make sure that she wouldn't hear any 'lies' again. "It's a lie! Go away! You're distracting the ritual!"
I am not here to distract you... I am here to save you...
"Save me?"
Yes. Save you. From lies.
"But you're the one who's lying!"
No! It's Kaos who is lying!
A pause.
It almost took her breath away: a lie, maybe a truth, like a poison stucked and penetrated both her body and mind. A lie, or truth, that will forever be contaminated into her heart.
She tried to act like deaf, the best she could, but it seemed that the mysterious tempting voice was much louder than hers that almost boxed her ears out.
"Why did you say so?" she tried her best to keep herself calm.
Because THAT is the truth.
"And who are you to urge me to do something that is against my ancestor?"
A short silence followed. Who am I?
"Answer me!" in a demanding tone.
Followed by a soft, yet devilish giggle, the priestess was left puzzled.
"Anything funny?" almost in her angry tone.
Your question... A funny question... and continued to laugh.
"And what is so funny about my question?"
Finally the mysterious voice ceased its laughter. ...Do you REALLY want to see me, priestess?
"What is the use of my question if you don't answer directly?"
Oh, pardon me... after some thought; You can only see me... only IF you open the box...
"Is this sort of a BLACKMAIL?"
Yes... and no.
"Yes and no? What..."
Yes, because you must so. You are the only one who could open the box through your will power. No... because the box is the only answer behind Kaos' secret... and of course... in order for you to see me...
"...Is there... any other way..."
There's no other way, my dear.
"Then..."
Don't be afraid, Kayura... Open it...
"I..."
Open it... it's for your own good...
"I..."
Her daintily hand, almost been controlled by an evil-handed demon... Her fingertips were almost touching the red semi-precious stones, the eyes of an evil dragon, in the Cursed Box. Her hesitation and the temptation were fighting on her head, but her quizzical face would never determine both of these emotions. It has seemed that her whole body has now being controlled by the voice, itself, just to get what it wanted.
Do it, Kayura... Do it... NOW!!!
-----
Kaos opened his eyes all of a sudden.
He was in the middle of his training: cleansing all the negative thoughts while in the rushing falls of the forest, until a negative aura had been intervened his work.
The white tiger suddenly got up after a doze and grumbled as if he had felt something—something that its master also felt.
"I know..." he answered to his tiger, looking straight to the distance where the young priestess and the high priests previously doing the rites.
"It's no good. I know this will happen... Let's go!" and jumped along the rocks as his loyal pet followed him to... the would-be rendezvous of the nearing chaos.
-----
Minutes... seconds... time left to stop the return of evil, and Kaos, with his full speed, was not so sure if he would be able to make it on time... before Kayura would finally do it, and the strange voice will finally succeed.
Open it... Kayura...
A mile before reaching the shrine... Kaos, though already on his full speed, was still worried that he might not make it on time. A mile will take an hour or two by foot, and he, who believed to have the speed of a cheetah, can do that bay an hour or less. But for him...
It's still not enough! Still panting with his speed, I should have not let her go there in the first place!
But time is soon elapsing...
Kayura's hand was now halfway to the box. The voice was still urging her to open it. And there was no enough time to lose.
Kaos' foot was already set in the shrine's territory and the negative aura went stronger as he drew near. The white tiger's snowy face turned into a cold, vicious one as soon as they had entered the shrine.
"What is it, boy?" after he had seen it running to a location where Kayura was with the box, he followed the animal.
-----
Seconds left.
Kayura's hesitation slowly dying out and her eagerness to find all the answers lightened up. She cannot hear the voice any longer, but her will has decided to continue, a decision that will change the face of the earth after this nearing danger.
Slowly, with her own hands, she opened the golden lid. A burst of purple aura escaped from its imprisonment and...
PPHHHHHHVVVVVVVVV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
One of the priests immediately responded to the tremendor of the room. All outside the sacred room were in panic. Kaos and the tiger had also heard it, "And this is what I'm worrying for...", and like a lightning...
"KAYURA!!!!!"
-----
The priest entered the room to check what was happening... but it has seemed like...
"Gods..."
The fallen box remained open, letting all the 100 Onis escape to find new ways to penetrate the light that filters upon the earth. And Kayura...
Purple light scattered all over the room, a fearing aura for the priests in the shrine. One of them even tried to get the priestess out of the room, now being cursed due to temptation.
"Lady Kayura!", he called, "Are you all..."
"...Right...?" the priest's eyes widened in shock, almost popped out, when he saw Kayura... no, not already in her old red and white ceremonial gown. The evil aura burned it out, and it created a warrior-type outfit: a skintight tube top protected by semi-bronze breastplate, dark purple high boots and golden ceremonial necklace. The silk top was tied in her right shoulder to match her feminine perspective. At her back was a pair of jitte, two ninja blades.
...An amazon she was been turned into!
"Lady... Kayura..."
She turned to the trembling priest as s response. To his terrible surprise: the innocent and angelic face once she wore has worn off and put a mask of great beauty... and evil. The red eyeshadow and her long flowing black hair tied in red silk had determined her transformation.
But the priest didn't mind her new form, still hoping that the young, sweet Lady Kayura is still there, just that she had changed her appearance.
"Lady... Kayura... are you..."
Her answer?
SWISH!
The sound of her blade ended the life of the priest. She turned around fully to see the lifeless priest she had just recently killed. The other four were still protecting themselves from the escaping oni auras.
And as expected... Kaos came TOO late.
"Kayura..." his voice retained his calmness although his eyes were shocked. She turned to her ancestor in reply—with a devilish little grin. But still he remained composed as if she is still the Kayura he used to know and protected. Walking slowly towards her, "Have I told you NOT to open the cursed box?"
A stare to him was her reply as her evil smile died out suddenly.
"You disobeyed me... It seems that you are not ready yet for your responsibility..."
But as soon as he was close to her, Kayura wielded her jitte in a flash and aimed at her own ancestor's throat!
"And just who ARE you to tell me those things?" she hissed.
With her voice once angelic, Kaos found out that she was possessed by one of the 100 Onis, but he cannot actually tell which of them did it.
"It seems that you already knew..." and she took away her weapon away from his throat, "But do you think I had tried my best to overcome it? Wrong! In fact, believe it or not... since in the beginning I was longing for this absolute power; the reason why in the first place you don't want me to open the box..."
"Now that you had opened it... soon the whole world will be under the onis' power. Don't you ever realize the consequences?"
"How could I know about the consequences, you didn't tell me anything in the first place?"
"Because I don't want you to be a part of my problem! That will cause you..."
"Enough, LIAR! You say that because you want this power as your own!"
"That will only cause you pain!"
"Heh, too bad... you cannot have it. Absolute power is all MINE!"
"KAYURA!!!"
Drawing her jitte once more, she emitted a purple negative aura from it and pointed against Kaos and the tiger. But before it could reach them, he was able to shield himself and the animal using his ceremonial staff. It created a spiritual barrier strong enough to hold the opposing force. But in his mind, he knew that t would never be enough.
"Kayura!" with plea, while on the shield, "Open your eyes!"
"What do you mean 'open my eyes'?" she roared as she emitted more power from her weapon, "Whoever must open his eyes, it would definitely be YOU! Can't you see?... This power... the feeling... this is what I called absolute power! And for this I can do anything! No one can ever stop me! Not even YOU!"
"That's foolishness!" unluckily, the spiritual shield was losing its energy due to the great force of Kayura's negative aura, "Kayura! You don't understand anything! Open your eyes to the truth!"
"It's YOU who doesn't understand!" accompanied by her evil laughter, Kayura's power grew stronger almost winning against her ancestor's, "Can't you still see it, Kaos? I AM NOW MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU! So powerful that I can destroy anything that will cross my way!"
The other oni spirits from the box were still escaping, finding a way to get out and spread out. Three of them had already entered into the three other priests jerked with pain. The other, with long, flowing reddish-brown hair, tried to get up in order to 'save' the possessed priestess.
"Lady Kayura..." his green eyes, where in disbelief, affixed into the priestess' new image. But unmindful of whom she is now, he ran unto her and hugged her tight. "My Lady..." he begged, "Please... get hold of yourself..."
Kayura felt uneasiness from behind her, "You... imprudent fool!" she struggled, "Don't touch me!!!"
"I'm begging you, my lady..." he held her tighter, "Calm yourself!"
"Don't command me like you're stronger than me!" she continued to struggle. But the young priest didn't listen just to bring her back to herself.
Seeing all the commotion in the sacred shrine, Kaos felt guilt to himself. This is the first time since his battle with Arago started, that he felt so sorry for what was happening. It's his entire fault, he thought. Have he told Kayura about it in the first place, she would not be as she is now. And now, what he was frightening for is that...
"I think, Byakkouen" he told his tiger, "After 400 years, it will happen again..."
Byakkouen, the white tiger, whined at his frustrated master, the first time since 400 years he became like that, seemed that he wanted to ask what Kaos will do now.
"Yes, I know..." his eyes cannot focus already at his suffering descendant, stopping by one of the high priests. Until something had crossed his mind: A hard decision that would might cause of losing his own power and even... his immortality. But if this is the only way...
"I have no choice..." in an almost-thought whisper. Byakkouen turned to him in awe and looked like he had read his master's mind. So worried he went closer to him, but he gave the tiger some encouragement, "Byakkouen... we must be ready for what will happen... Whatever will happen to me... I want you to continue the mission..."
The once frightening tiger eyes became like those of a domesticated cat when he had heard his master's will.
-----
Kayura continued to struggle against the priest. Her powers went down mad due to extreme anger.
"You... damned fool!!!" as she thrusted her sword to the priest's stomach! Blood sprang on the place. Kaos was in steady shock. The priest, still breathing, still didn't let go of her. The evil priestess smiled without a heart, "That serves right for fools like you!"
Kaos, the Legendary Samurai, cannot believe in his own eyes: the angelic little pristess loved by everyone in the forest, now being damned with an unlikable spirit to force her to kill. Though the priest was still catching his breath, sooner or later his time will be expired. And the hardest part of it: another oni spirit had entered into its final victim: the reddish brown-haired priest, as his final breath!
After 400 years, Kaos felt his energy bursting in anger and disbelief; quite different from the aura he used on Arago a long time ago. And it turned worse when he had heard Kayura's laughter--a more possessed, more bloodthirsty one. Grasping his staff so tight, and the tiger was now ready to tore her up into chunks, unmindful that Kayura was once a simple, kindhearted girl.
"Kayura, please..." his calm voice now bursted into anger, "DON'T FORCE ME TO DO THIS!!!" and he really ahd done it: He attacked his own blood!
"Bring it on, Kaos!" Kayura invited, now her innocence had completely vanished by evil, "Prove to me if you are still worthy to be called the most powerful samurai!"
"ENOUGH!"
KLANK!
Using her twin jitte, she tried to overcome Kaos' staff to have a chance to destroy his protection. Positive and negative auras were bursting out and moving freely inside the shrine, as one by one the onis were escaping from the cursed box. And they were only fet of them left to escape.
"Kayura..." still struggling, "If this is... the only way... to stop you... Then, I will give everything I've got! Just to stop the onis from escaping!"
"You are too late, Kaos..." her grinning face didn't fade, "As soon as all of them went out of the box, it will be my duty now to revive them... to revive Master Arago!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY???"
Master... Arago?
He cannot believe in his ears. Kayura actually uttered Arago's name with full respect! Is it really too late for him to bring her back?
He thought so.
Everything turned out worse. And he really had no choice... even it will cause his immortality and power, to stop this nonesense.
"Kayura..." and for the first time, even an immortal shed a tear for his sympathy, "...Forgive me..."
A flash of light followed by their screams and shouts completed the deafening silence.
-----
The chirping of the birds... the swaying of the bamboos... the gushing of running water... the whisper of the gentle wind... all of these sounds filled the silence created by the aftermath of short chaos.
The whole shrine had collapsed, the roof was crushed almost into powder and the wall were full of large holes, leaving the shocked Kaos on bended knees. Byakkouen rushed unto his aid.
"It's over... I lost..."
The tiger purred with pity as it went close to his 'defeated' master. Kaos replied with a pat on Byakkouen's head. "Yes my friend... we're lost..."
Looking at the tiger's innocent eyes, it seemeed that he wanted to say something. But he is just a big cat. How could he talk in human language, although Kaos understood each purr and roar he utter since they were friends and allies for 400 years?
"But..." he tried to stand up with the help of his staff, "There's still hope... I guess..."
The tiger gazed with wonder.
"Yes... although it will not be easy..."
In his worried face, Byakkouen realized what Kaos will do. "I cannot believe... I will do this... after so many years..." The tiger purred and whined with great anxiety in his heart. "I know this will be hard... But Byakkouen, listen to me..." the tiger glanced at him, "I am now assigning you on finding them..."
Them?
"I know that it will not be easy for you to find and destroy all the 100 onis by yourself... So I will send the diffused powers of Arago in order for you to follow..."
Diffused powers? The tiger's face showed disbelief as if he had understood it. The diffused powers Kaos was talking about were Arago's main power from his protective armor that had been divided into different subpowers Kaos divided with is own power to diffuse evil 400 years ago. But what does he exactly mean?
"Follow them... wherever they will go..." as the staff has started to emit some energy to be released, "...and guard them as you could... Whoever will receive them... guide them will all you know... These subpowers will choose someone with heart of a real samurai--one that has the will and strength to defend the future of the earth..."
Byakkouen shook up and purred as if he wanted to produce tears.
"And as for me..." the emitted energy was divided into nine different colors, each bearing a subpower came from once Arago's power armor now diffused by Kaos' own power, thus now protected by holy light. As it was done, his hand shook due to lost of so much energy. "I am leaving you... with great responsibility... I'm begging you... Hurry up... before it's too late..."
And Kaos touched Byakkouen's massive neck and started to emit his final energy unto his companion. The tiger felt warmth upon his master's hands. This might sound queer, but the tiger managed to to produce tears and purred; a phenomenon that was very hard to believe that even a fierce, gallant tiger can cry as humans do.
"I know what you feel, my friend..." his voice went hoarse, "But come to think of it... you will serve as a bridge to unite the subpowers... Follow them... and do as I say..."
Byakkouen tried to open his mouth and purr, but what wonder is this? Instead of a typical tiger purr, he uttered...
"...M...Ma...Mas...ter..."
Even Byakkouen was surprised to himself: He can talk! Is this the result from thre remaining powers that Kaos gave unselfishly to him?
"You see, Byakkouen?" and Kaos gave a faint smile, "I have give you an ability which only the purest of hearts can understand you... Use this gift as I order you to do... Be careful with it... And don't worry... forever... I will watch over you... and your soon-to-be-appointed... Samurai... Phantoms..."
"Samu...rai... Phantoms..."
"Only the night will be their abode... and the moon will be their witness...to save the world secretly... by retrieving... and destroying all the 100 onis to eternal slumber... There is no use if we put them temporarilly into sleep again... It will just cause another havoc if someone will open it again..."
Byakkouen purred sadly.
"And this..." he still had a few energy left to create a small thing in his hand: a glimmering little silver box, "Use this... to bring them back... with this... they will never... ever... escape..."
The tiger took the box by his mouth.
"Well..." his voice was starting to die out, "...I guess... it's all up for the appointed ones to tackle over it... and this I assure you: Arago... will never... ever... come back again..."
As he uttered his final word, he was slowly disappearing. Byakkouen purred with plea not to leave him. But at the same time, the tiger felt lightness in his body. He felt himself floating in the ball of light, puzzled by the phenomenon occuring.
"Don't fear, Byakkouen..." Kaos' final blessing, "I'm... always... with you..."
...And in a blink of light, he disappeared... shortly.
"MASTER KAOS!!!"
A ball of light, where the tiger was inside, turned smaller and was teleported far away from the forest. Destiny only knows where he would be taken. As for the the Legendary Samurai, he went gone as smoke fron the destroyed shrine fainted away, never seen again... So was Kayura and the four priests, who went missing mysteriously after been damned by evil. Wherever they went today, surely fate will answer...
-----
The 100 onis then, scatters over Japan in form of a meteor shower. A meteor shower in the mid-morning? But because it was morning, it is invisible to the naked eye. No one in the entire country had noticed it, except for a young boy of thirteen who, within his tiger-blue eyes, had seen CLEARLY... the most beautiful meteor shower he had ever seen since he was a child. But it was very peculiar then to see this phenomenon in the morning without any news from NASA.
"But... how come?" in his puzzled look.
Until...
"SANADA!!!"
"YIKES!"
The fat guy teacher caught him again looking at the window, "Daydreaming again?"
Surprised, he fixed himself to be ready to listen to the discussion.
...And everything happened just a year ago...
-----
(Damn! I've rewritten my Prologue due to so many typographical errors! I'm really sorry, guys, it's my first time after all! No flaming please! And please R&R! Thanks!)