Hanami
Disclaimer: I do not own Bey Blade and its characters; I own the original characters portrayed herein. Sakura Taisen with a twist; this time it's the boys' turn! Then they meet up with the Team Axis and things were never the same again. BBA Team/Team Europe/Michael/Yuri X OC's. Blades at the READY!
Lei
Name: Kon, Lei
Country of Origin: China
Nationality: Chinese
Birthplace: Unknown, rumored to be the famed White Tiger Village
Age: 15
Height: 168 cm
Weight: 49 kg
Blood Type: AB
Birthday: June 17
Skills: Martial Arts
PRN: 0020-001-00
EP: 90
APR: 95%
Test Results: 100% Passing
COMMENTS:
Recommended for transfer to 35th Imperial Capital Defense Headquarters. Training for Elite Kagekidan Branch approved. For immediate action.
Signed:
JUDY MIZUHARA,
Head Instructor,
Imperial Capital Defense Satellite Headquarters,
KYOUTO
*Taisho 8 (1919)
"Darn..." Lei Kon blinked, as he stared into the thick sheet of rain that was pouring heavily in the gray haze of a typical Tokyo afternoon. It was cold, it was wet, but Lei felt great, nevertheless. He had been very nervous upon receiving the nondescript small manila envelope quite some time ago, and he was glad that he was able to make it this far.
Lei looked down at the envelope he held tightly in his right hand. Flowing Japanese kanji, so much like the Chinese calligraphy his grandfather had forced him to study ever since he had learned how to write, was written in typical Japanese fashion, up-down from left to right. It was his letter of approval from Dr. Judy Mizuhara, the Head Instructor of the Imperial Capital Defense Satellite Headquarters back in Kyouto where he came from. He had been very happy when he received that, he called long distance to his aunt living in Hong Kong, to tell the happy news to his grandfather living in the valley.
And...
"Can it, kid, you're hogging the entire passageway," a man told him gruffly. Startled, Lei blinked, looked over his shoulder, and saw him.
"I...I'm sorry..." Lei stammered. He quickly got out of the way, and the man went out, muttering angrily at how out of town youths could be so damn stupid. The man got his umbrella, shook it open, then headed out into the rain. Several other people did the same, and soon, a stream of disembarked passengers were walking out into the rain, holding parasols above their heads and going briskly about their own ways.
"..." Lei sighed, then looked at the envelope again. The envelope had contained the letter, a first class ticket from Kyouto to Tokyo, a map of Tokyo and a small slip of paper indicating that he was to meet a certain Asako Suzuhara, in about 1700 hours. She was to escort him to the HQ, and so he could start with his new job as a cadet in the elite Kagekidan of the Imperial Capital Defense, a job that he really wanted to have for the last 6 years of his life training and studying so hard back in Kyouto. At last it will come to a fruition.
Then...
A low rumbling sound was heard, and Lei blinked and sighed again, his head hanging down low. In all his excitement, he forgot to eat breakfast and lunch preparing for the trip to Tokyo, and Souichi Saiki laughed about it as soon as Lei boarded the train that was to take him there.
***Damn Kon, you're more excited than I first thought. Just be sure you don't spill your last night's dinner all over General Daitenji's desk, or you'll be shipped back to China first thing in the morning. I hear he's a real tyrant.***
His stomach rumbled painfully again, and Lei forced the sour bile down his throat, which was threatening to come out. He never felt this bad ever since the day his father died 8 years ago. Fei Kon was a strict man, but he was kind. He was a radical who envisioned peace with the Westerners and was quite unpopular with a small number of Communists because of his democratic zeal and his love for universal understanding and brotherhood. He had come a very long way from White Tiger Valley, and his grandfather had mourned his son deeply when he was felled by some soldiers from the Axis during his stint with the Imperial Capital Defense. He was a hero, and Lei really looked up to him as a role model, even if he didn't really get to see him that much. It was understandable why his grandfather first disapproved of his choice to serve under the Imperial Capital Defense; the loss of his son has affected him greatly. But his mother had been very understanding, and his grandfather let him go after she talked to him.
***You'll come back, right, Lei-chan?*** Mao, his younger twin sister, asked him. Her amber gold eyes were filled with tears, and all Lei could do was just pat her on the head awkwardly.
***Yes, Mao-chan, I promise.***
***Be careful out there, Lei,*** his mother told him, her dark pink hair pulled back from her face by means of a tortoiseshell comb his father gave her on the day of their marriage.
***Yes, Mama.***
His grandfather looked so grave and so serious that day when he gave him the White Claw, his father's memento.
***Be strong and be proud and be brave, Son of Byakko. We shall await your return.***
Son of Byakko. It was the highest term of respect in their quaint little village in the White Tiger Valley, and to be called as such is a very great honor. It was meant that the village has acknowledged his prowess as a full-fledged warrior of the White Tiger Clan where he came from, and he was to carry that honor till the day that he breathes his last. And it means that he must not fail in upholding that title even in the face of gravest danger, even death. White Tigers are not to be shamed by any form of dishonor that may taint their very proud and noble heritage. And it was something Lei had been sole pressed to keep up the last 6 years he spent training and studying in Kyouto before going here, the last stop of his journey.
Or so he thought.
"Excuse me...? Are you Lei Kon?"
Startled, Lei looked up and blinked. A young woman of about 18 was standing right in front of him, holding a parasol, and clutching at something in her hand.
"Y-yes, Ma'am!" Lei replied, offering her a crisp salute.
"Hmm, a little too much on the politeness department...amber gold eyes...jet black hair..." The woman looked from the black and white picture she held in her hand, looked at Lei, then back at the picture again. She nodded. "Yes, you're my man!" She bows, in the typical manner of a respectful Japanese. "I am Asako Suzuhara, nice to meet you!"
"Lei Kon at your service, Ma'am."
"Hee. VERY polite, aren't you. You don't really have to salute me, I'm just a lowly messenger in the employ of the Kagekidan. Did you arrive well? I mean...have you had any trouble coming here?"
"No, Ma'am."
"Call me Asako." Asako Suzuhara smiled at him brightly. "Well, are all of your things in order? If so, the automobile that would take us to the HQ is waiting for us in the parking area in front of the train station."
Lei looked down. He had his 2 suitcases with him, his brown leather satchel, and his jacket. He nodded. "I have them all here."
"Well and good." Asako nodded over at the rain. "Really sorry for this horrid weather, it's been raining nonstop for the last 2 days already. I actually have no idea WHY."
"It's...alright." Lei gulped.
"?" Asako blinked, then gave a sheepish grin. "Oh, yes! Let's go."
The automobile ride was uneventful, to say the least, and Lei could see nothing but rain, rain, and more rain. It seemed as if heaven itself didn't approve of his coming to Tokyo, and the uneasy feeling started in the pit of his stomach again.
Asako wasn't saying much, except that she was engrossed in a small pamphlet to which Lei could see that it was some sort of an itinerary. He didn't question her about it, thinking that she wouldn't want to be disturbed, for she looked at it intently.
Then...
"Oh dear, we're already HERE!" Asako hurriedly got her umbrella then waited as the driver opened the door for her to come out. She shook it open, then looked over at Lei. "Mr. Kon, if you please..."
Lei nodded, then got out of the automobile. In the pouring rain, he couldn't see that much, but...what was that building in front of them? It looked too ornate to be anything else less than the Kagekidan he had heard so much about...in fact, he wasn't even sure it was the headquarters he expected.
Asako ushered him inside, and Lei's worst fears were confirmed. There must be some sort of mistake.
"Excuse me...Asako-san? Errh...is this the Kagekidan Division of the Imperial Capital Defense Headquarters..." Lei asked softly as he looked around in the anteroom. There was a grand staircase right in front of him from which a crystalline chandelier hung, and their were vases of fresh cut flowers on the exquisite tables that lined the room. Maids wearing ruffly starched white aprons and dark blue uniforms went about methodically, dusting the many vases as needed, and going about their daily tasks as inconspicuously as possible. If he was right, then this must be a hotel of some sort, not a military facility.
"Yes, Mr. Kon, this is the Kagekidan Division." Asako shook out the water droplets from her umbrella then handed it over to one of the maids. She smiled. "So how do you find your new home already?"
"R-really?" Lei blinked. "I..."
"Oh, Suzuhara-kun. You're already here."
Asako blinked, stared, then gave a crisp salute. "Ah...Daitenji-kacho! Reporting for duty, sir!"
"At ease." An old man was smiling at Lei kindly. "And I trust you're Lei Kon?"
"Errh...yes, sir!"
"I should've known. Those White Tiger eyes aren't really that too common around here." The old man extended his hand towards him. "A pleasant afternoon. My name is Gogoro Daitenji. How do you do?"
"D...Daitenji..." Lei turned SD then shook his hand. "General Daitenji, sir! It's an honor to meet you, sir!"
"At ease, at ease. I prefer to be called 'Kacho'." Gogoro Daitenji looked over at Asako. "Please ready his room. I'll just talk to him in the management office for a while."
"Yes, Kacho!" Asako gave that salute again and hurried up the grand staircase, calling to 2 maids as she hurried up the steps.
"This way, please," Daitenji-kacho told a still flustered Lei. Lei had so many questions in his mind at the moment, each one more bizarre than the last. Where are the soldiers? His fellow cadets? He knew he wasn't the only one starting today...or is he? What's up with addressing General Gogoro Daitenji, one of the famous Imperial Capital Defense Corps, as KACHO?! He's not a manager of some sort, is he?
Lei looked at the many posters that were hung on the walls leading to the "management office": they were posters of musicals he'd read so much about from the American newspapers Dr. Mizuhara had lent him to read time and again. But then again...is the Kagekidan involved with Broadway musicals one way or the other?
Daitenji-kacho stopped in front of a door then opened it. He looked over at Lei. "Please do come in. I'm terribly sorry about the mess...an order for new posters had just come in, and there were a few frantic calls made to the printer at the last minute. It's concerning the layouts. The advertiser wanted something big and edgy, if you know what I mean."
"Ah...yes, Kacho..."
Daitenji-kacho went in after Lei did then closed the door. "Please have a seat on the available sofa. Would you like something to drink? I have freshly brewed coffee, or some Chinese tea, if you would prefer."
"Oh, I'm perfectly fine, Kacho." Lei blinked, then looked at the stacks of posters that were piled neatly on one side of the room.
Daitenji-kacho sat on the chair by the table in front of Lei then took a deep whiff of the mug of coffee he held in his hands. He smiled in a grandfatherly way towards Lei. "Forgive me. It is when I take a whiff of caffeine that I feel so totally at ease."
"Yes."
Silence reigned for a few minutes. Lei looked around in increasing bewilderment. Instead of any plaques of recognition, war trophies, or souvenirs of any sort, he saw posters, posters, and more posters. And not just any posters.
"Welcome to Kagekidan, my young friend," Daitenji-kacho told him as soon as Lei returned his attention back to him. "You couldn't have come at a much better time than today. Did you have any trouble going here from Kyouto?"
"Errh...no, Kacho." Lei blinked. "Excuse me...Kagekidan..."
"Yes?"
"This is...Kagekidan?"
"Of course. Were you expecting something more of a military outpost?"
"Uh..."
"Don't you worry, lad, you'd fit in in no time at all." Daitenji-kacho took a sip of the coffee before continuing. "I've read through your test results, and I must say that I am very impressed. Your scores are the highest I've seen by far."
"Errh..." Lei looked down at his lap, his cheeks flushed.
"Well then, to business." Daitenji-kacho smiled at him again. "I am very sure you would really love it here. Oh, here he is now. Max?"
Lei looked around at the new arrival. A boy with bright blue eyes and a shock of blond hair was standing in the doorway, smiling very pleasantly at him. He was wearing a long sleeved polo shirt, suspenders, a pair of brown trousers, and shiny leather shoes on his feet. Lei can't help thinking that he has met him somewhere before.
"Maximillian Christopher Mizuhara at your service, but I prefer to be called Max," the boy told him. "How do you do?"
"Max here is Dr. Mizuhara's son," Daitenji-kacho told him. "He would be giving you a tour of the Kagekidan, and of course, introduce you to the other members of the team. Alright Max?"
"Yes, Daitenji-kacho! I will make sure to give him a really grand tour that he won't ever forget." Maximillian Christopher Mizuhara gave him a brighter smile than the last. "Shall we?"
"Uh...yes." Lei stood up.
Lei followed Max out of the management office.
"I'm...Lei Kon, by the way," Lei told him.
"Yup, Mom talks about you all the time," Max said as they made their way down the hall that led somewhere further than the management office. "I just didn't expect you to be a boy close to my own age. By the way you acted and studied and did all the things necessary for the Imperial Capital Defense training, I thought you must be around 18 or even 20."
"..."
"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it!" Max stopped and looked at him anxiously. "I'm sorry if I offended you or anything..."
"It's alright." Lei smiled faintly.
Max let out a huge sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. Oh, here we are at the rehearsal hall." Max pulled the double doors wide open. "Hey everybody, the newbie's arrived!"
There was absolute silence as Lei went in after Max. Lei blinked. There were a bunch of boys his own age gathered around in a circle, holding pamphlets of what he could be very sure about as being scripts.
SCRIPTS?
Max grinned and smiled at Lei.
"Lei, I would like you to meet Team Hoshi. Guys, I would like you to meet Lei Kon, our newest team member. He's going to join us from this day hereon. Hey, what do you say about it?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
* I am using the Japanese imperial calendar here. The storyline happens in the Taisho era, sometime after the Meiji. As you know, Japan has adopted the Gregorian calendar since January 1, 1873, but the names of the months are numbers, and the years are numbered in terms of eras which begin with the accession of each new Emperor. Within a year or so of the new Emperor's assuming of the Chrysanthemum Throne, the imperial court then would decide an official auspicious name for the reign. These era names are referred to as NENGO. The era name, Taisho, means "Great Righteousness", and started from 1912 and ended on December 25, 1925. In order to convert a Japanese year to a Western year, find the year in the common era of the first year of the nengo, subtract 1, and add the number of the Japanese year. For example, Taisho 8: (1912- 1 = 1911; 1911 + 8 = 1919).