(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
Episode Fifteen: The Phantom of Cruelty
The town's clock tower rang its bell to signal that it has been fifteen minutes past twelve.
Byakkouen was there alone, with butterflies in his stomach. Still he couldn't believe that his just-newly-appointed Samurai Phantom had just been swallowed by the oni's world in his own will. What was he thinking at that time? He may did that to save the four victims inside but the cat's concern also in Rekka's safety, since he is just new to this mission, and it was only today that he discovered who he really was.
But too bad that fate has decided his untimely end...
...Or is he?
Despite of his headache he had from his bad bump, the cat ran towards the painting with feline rage and bumped himself against the cursed painting! "You MONSTER!" he shouted at the painting, "Let go of him, you, you... ACK! Let Rekka go! Let them go! Or I'll eat you! Put them down, you..."
But with no avail.
Unmindful that the guards might see him destroying the external beauty of the painting, and of his aching little head, Byakkouen continued to bump against it, hoping that the Oni of Art inside might respond to his meows and bumps so that the portal will open again for him. But his hopes failed him. There was no respond at all.
The poor feline stopped for a while to catch a breath but with unchanged anguish striped face.
"Damn it!" he whispered, almost in tears, "If I wasn't turn into this, it will not happen thisto Ryo! It's all my fault! I must have told him earlier about his destiny so that at least I could train him for this! I didn't explain to him EVERYTHING! I'm so stupid!" then bowing his head, sniffing, "Only if my magic is enough to open the portal, I could follow him for sure..."
"...Then how can you actually do that if you were that small?"
"Agh! What's the use of being a guardian to him if I..."
Before he could finish, he realized something. That deep voice only means that someone was there for almost minutes from now. To make sure...
"Who's that? Answer me!"
"If you were looking for me," the voice answered, "I'm just right here... in front of you..."
Byakkouen turned around to the man and saw someone walking towards him. Within the darkness of the room is a figure of a man in fine structure, with long flowing hair, wearing in a somewhat semi-oldstyle samurai outfit. The soft moonlight revealed the man's face that made the cat's eyes widened and in deep surprise...
For it seems that he knew that man so much...
And he KNEW him as well.
The cat tried to speak, "T-To... Toshi...tada...?"
The man smiled in reply... "It's been a while... Byakkouen..."
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"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Phantom Rekka found himself screaming and falling into the deep darkness, unsure of where the Fates will take him since the place is so pointless and darkness has no end. His throat was already in intense pain due to so much screaming that almost no voice came into his mouth anymore.
"Darn it!" his heart cursed while his physical mouth continues to scream at the top of his lungs, "Looks like I'll fall for the rest of my life! WHERE'S THAT DAMN END ANYWAY??? My throat's been ripped off now! I can't hear them anymore! Where in this hell could they be??? WHEN WILL I STOP FALLIN' LIKE THIS???"
But then, suddenly, he finds himself floating in the darkness. Still there, but it seems that there is some sort of pressure has stopped him from falling vigorously. Puzzled by this sudden event, he decided to just ride on with the Fates on where they will take him. He was very sure that the incident just occured only proved that the core to the men's whereabouts is near. He was just hoping that his theoryis right.
And he really was...right.
"HELP...US...HELP...US...!"
Finally, though not that clear, he can hear the missing men from somewhere. Now what is now unclear is that where in the world are they. He continued to search through his ears.
"HELP...! HELP US...! PLEASE...!"
Their voices arenot yet clear to him. So he decided to call them from afar.
"YOOHOO! Anyone there? Answer me!"
"WE'RE HERE...!"
"Where?"
"UP HERE...!"
"What?"
He looked up above but saw nothing. He continued to call. "But... But I can't see you! Where are you, anyway???"
"HERE...! UP HERE...!"
So he searched from up above. And there he discovered something weird. Something was moving from up there. He tried to get near the strange thing but the loss of pressure and gravity and too much darkness almost prevented him from getting there as fast as he could. He hoped that someone is up there seeking for his help.
And once again... he's right.
But the scenario that stucked Rekka was the condition of the four missing men: they were all tied up with grudely pale hands, hanging them in their hands, unable to escape due to fear of their surroundings. Their cries were full of despair and hopelessness, and now they were only depending on the help of others, only if someone will came to save them.
And as they prayed for... Rekka came to save them.
"Hang on, please!", he called them, "I'll just get those hands off you! Just give me a sec!"
But alas, the hands made a reaction to the newly-arrived voice, as it seems that a new victim came. Extra pale hands streched from above and attacked him!
Phantom Rekka became in panic, thinking that he will be the poor fifth victim. But then he felt something in his right hand: He only realized that he still has one sword to be used against them. Talk about swords... He thought, Damn it! Why I didn't realized that?
Finally, the former panicking Samurai Phantom'skanji of benevolenceglowed brightly red on his forehead, a sign that he's now ready to kick some butt on those ghost hands. "Sorry..." and wielding his katana, "If I were you, I hafta wash my hands first before eatin'!"
And he charged the attacking hands while the men were trembling that something worse might happen to them...
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Byakkouen, upon seeing the man named Toshitada, ran to him with joy, "I'm so glad that you're alive!" he beamed, "You could never guessed how happy I..."
But upon reaching him, Toshitada slapped him! The cat flew away and fell on the floor.
Byakkouen cannot believe what his 'old friend' had done to him. "But... why...?" in a puzzled yet worried look.
"You know what?" Toshitada walked towards him, "I pity you so much. How can a once-a-ferocious white tiger be turned by Kaos into a helpless little cat that does nothing so special but to talk?"
"Kaos has a reason that even I doesn't know!" he tried to get up, "Whatever that is... I don't have a right to question about it! And you? You have... changed a lot..."
"Thanks to your MASTER's foolishness... now that I have an unlimited power I deserve..."
"...You sounded like Kayura when she was possessed by one of the onis!"
"...So do I..."
The cat was stunned by what Toshitada mean. The fateful incident has coming back into his mind when, aside from Kayura, the four priests were also been possessed by four onis of still unknown nature...
...And Toshitada, the reddsh-brown-haired leader of the priests, was one of them.
After that incident, they disappeared and were never seen again...
Until he came back. Not to help him... But to revive the Oni of Art for his new master, Arago, himself!
Byakkouen became paler upon reminiscing those events. "That's... awful..."
"Awful?" in his expression, Toshitada couldn't believe in his ears, "Is it awful to have a strength like this? Look at you! Kaos has turned you into a useless little creature though for four centuries you had been his loyal companion. You say that because you are JEALOUS of me..."
"A cat has never become jealous to a human! And never will! It's the law of nature!"
"Yes, the law of nature... But admit it, my friend, you are also looking foreward to his power for years, aren't you?"
"You know me, Toshitada: I AM loyal to Kaos!"
"But, my friend, too much loyalty will just mean betrayal to him!"
"No way!" almost in tears, "I cannot believe it... Is that REALLY you, Toshitada?"
"You even wonder about who I am..." unfortunately, he noticed Rekka's other katana lying on the velvetly-carpeted floor. He had only a plain expression, a simple smile, as if he already knew that this time will come that the heirs to thenine diffused powers are awakening one by one.
"It seems that you have found one of them..."
Surprised, "How... how did you know that?"
Toshitadachuckled a bit, "Oh, come on, Byakkouen! Don't tell me that Kaos didn't told you about something special regarding the nine diffusions..."
"...What?"
"That one diffusion can feel another whenever they are in pain, in trouble, in seclusion, or in joy..." as he created a darkred ball of energy from his weapon, a chained scythe, "That the diffused powers are internally connected to each other..."
"What are you planning to do???" the cat was stunned.
"Simple! I'll just destroy the painting after the Oni of Art have eaten its prey... And the I will take care of the rest..."
"WHAT???" in shock.
Smirking, "I know that your new master is inside that painting. A foolish act indeed..."
"Toshitada, NO!!!"
He was about to aim the scythe to the painting but instead he declined his attack that made Byakkouen in deep wonder.
"What..."
Toshitada gave a big laugh, "Did I scare you?"
The cat sighed heavily with great relief, "You fool... you scared me!" But then he gave a faint smile afterwards, "Hah... I knew it... I really thought..."
"You thought that I'm still the good, old Toshitada you used to know years ago..."
The little cat looked at his hardened face with awe.
"Are you still?"
The former priest smirked again. "You have changed a little, I see."
"What do you mean?"
"Since that incident, you have lost your pride and courage as a tiger-spirit. Kaos' disappearance left a great pain in your heart, that's why he turned you into a helpless little cat. Very cute, though..."
Byakkouen just stared at him blankly.
"I might stopped my attack on the painting tonight, but it doesn't mean that I'm through..."
The blank face slowly turned back with a face of pain and despair, lowering his head, "I see... you stopped because you're waiting for the oni to be awakened, am I right?"
Giggling again, "Your brain also turned slower nowadays..."
"Stop teasing me!"
"But it's the truth, isn't that right, Kitty?"
The cat's head lifted up as he heard what Toshitada called him. Not because anotherperson will tease him again like that, but his teary eyes will tell that...
"That pun... That's what you used to call me those days..."
"I see. You still didn't forget. Good for you..."
"No, it's not!"
Toshitada's calm face went in silence to give way to the cat's reasoning.
"I still believe that you ARE the Toshitada I used to know and played with! You call me Kitty still... The oni within you might changed your perspective as a human, but somewhere inside of you, you are STILL Toshitada! No power or any sorcery could change who you really are!"
"...Is that what you believe in?"
"Yes, it is! And it's up to you if you want to believe it or not!"
After a short pause, he just smiled faintly for an answer. "I believe that, too..."
His brown eyes lightened up, "...Really?"
"But..." raising his hand on the cat, "I believe more in my power I have now..."
Suddenly, Byakkouen, literally, froze. His whole body became paralized, unable to move even his eyelid. He even cannot able to talk! What... what did you... was only the heart could say.
Before Toshitada explained about it, he gave a mild laugh. "The curse that Kaos gave you surely made you slow-headed! But then I thank you for believing that I'm still that person you USED to know... Thanks for the memories, Kitty..."
The poor cat wasn't able to make a reaction out of Toshitada's cunning act. But his heart does. I know this ability... Oh, no! He has the power of hypnosis, an ability to control body and mind in one wave of his hand... This means...
One thing that made Byakkouen more stunned is when a light yellow kanji glowed on his forehead. The kanji called Chu, loyalty... one of the four Bushido virtues. Toshitada... he is... a...
Toshitada, then, noticed a strange, faint aura glowing around the cursed painting. He grinned, "It's about time..." turning himself to the painting, "The Oni of Art starts to free itself with the help of human energy it has stolen from its victims... And I guess, Kitty," turning to the frozen Byakkouen, "It seems that you will lose another master again..."
No... was the cat's heart's short reply.
Turning to the painting again, Toshitada took grip of his weapon as he waited for the awful moment to come. That's it... come, my servant, and let thyself be Kayura's great slave... Come, be in hurry! Destroy anyone who will stop you from turning this world into yours...
The painting's aura slowly lightened up wildly...
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(Phew! Waaahhh... sorry people if you waited too long... y'know, too many things to do at school. Well, anyway, this episode is done and what you will just do is to look forward on the next episode: Episode Sixteen! Don't forget to R&R, please! Thanks a lot! Man, I'm exhausted...)