Chapter II: Amidamaru's Lost Battle
The gang had departed from home early that morning. Yoh, who wasn't your usual morning person, had to drag by Trey and Lenny all the way to the train station. They check-in their bags and waited for the take off.
"Hey, there's some yummy crunchies!" Trey pointed to a snack bar
Yoh, Morty, Rio, Trey, and Lenny crowded the snack bar as they chose their treat.
"Do you have a double cheeseburger?" Yoh asked
"One bottled milk please, and make it snappy" Lenny snapped
"I would like to purchase your finest mooncake please" Rio smiled
"How much is that sandwich?" Morty asked
"Hurry up with my sodas mister! We don't have all day!" Trey scratched his head
Poor snack-guy-person was getting all their orders at the same time.
"What about us, Tammy?" Konchi, Tammy's fox-spirit, asked as he came in view
"Yeah, we're hungry" Ponchi nodded, patting his big tummy
"But you guys just ate 10 sandwiches I made an hour ago!" Tammy detested
"We did?" Ponchi went dotted-eye
Tammy shook her head in dismay
"Ok you food-grubbing idiots, let's go, the train leaves at five minutes" Anna went in the train and soon the gang followed with loads of food
The train's whistled for its departure. Children were excitingly looking out the window, pointing at the passing trees and people as the train slowly and steadily warmed up, this included Trey.
"Hey, did you see that? Wow! Hey, Yoh, look at that!" Trey acted like a little kid got the whole gang squirm in embarrassment, it wasn't until Anna pulled Trey down to his seat did the guys manage to sit properly.
"So, what does your hometown look like, Trey?" Yoh asked as comfortably adjusting his sitting position
"Wow, where do I begin?" Trey's eyes was full of excitement
"It's a vast land of snow mostly, but our village found a soft ground good for civilization. We even have a huge pond where the Minusians use to live, but city folks moved in and destroyed the pond, the Minusians started to dissaper by the pack. It was unbearable for us and we tried to save them but it was too late. Only a handful of the little guys were saved" he turned to look at Corey with warmth and love
Corey stared back with a smile and hugged Trey's cheeks, since it was too small
Yoh and the others felt pity for the Minusians, Rio managed to sniff
"Oh the poor guys, how many have survived, Trey?" Tammy asked as patting Corey
"As far as we've counted, about ten survive, including Corey, some were kept as Guardian Spirits, and some continue to live under the care of my people" Trey explained
"Wow, more of Corey? That would be so cute" Tammy blushed with joy
"Yeah, so you mean we'll be seeing Minusians in the Shaman Tournament right, Trey?" Yoh asked
"I guess, though it's been a long time since I heard any news from the village, that's why I'm so excited to go home. You'll love my mom's home cooking" Trey gave a thumbs up, grinning
It was still a long journey ahead; five hours of sitting still in the train was quite butt aching. Lenny, Rio, and Trey slept on their seat. Bason, Tokugawa, and Corey joined their masters and slept while hovering above them. Tammy and Anna were playing cards, each time, Tammy lost. While Yoh… well… our young, adventurous Shaman was way up in a place where you would least expect him to be.
"Isn't the mountains great, Amidamaru?" Yoh asked
"It is, no doubt about it" the samurai replied
He was way up in the train's roof, the speeding wind waved Yoh's hair, he was dangeroulsly sitting on the curved roof of the train, one falls move would send him flying over the rampaging tracks below.
"Hey, Amidamaru, have you ever gone hiking?" Yoh asked, looking at the buff samurai, sitting close beside him
"Well yes, it was once on our mission, it was quite vicious, so I wouldn't call it just a mere hike in the mountains" Amidamaru crossed his arms, looking serious
"Why? What happened?" Yoh leaned closer with interest
"Well… You see…"
Flashback… about 600 years ago…
A young Amidamaru, about the age of 20 was running through the thick forest. He was dressed in a worn-out kimono and wearing his sword. The white cloth was filled with mud, rips here and there; his face was roughed with some scratches and small bruises. He was out of breath but pushed himself, shoving the blinding leaves and branches.
It was a cold night; the full moon was bright in the dark sky. Shadows of every form fallen below the running samurai.
"Must report to the teacher at once" he whispered between gasps of breath
1Beyond Amidamaru's vision was an old temple, its surroundings were worn out and abandoned. But he went in like it his own home. As the wooden doors banged, the empty temple echoed with noise. Amidamaru was gasping for breath, leaning against the door, he saw before him a man with long, raven hair, sitting in the center, facing the altar.
"Sensei (teacher)" the tired samurai started "I have found the headquarters of the enemy, it is quite near as we had thought"
"I see" said the man sitting calmly
It was a minute of silence, the only thing that can be heard was the gasp of Amidamaru and the howling wind outside.
"Sensei, don't you think we should call our men and attack while the 'Tiger Clan' is still unacknowledged of our presence?" Amidamaru questioned
"We wait samurai, we wait" the teacher said in the same tune
"For what?" Amidamaru thought to himself "by the time we attack, the Tiger Clan will be ready"
"But sensei…"
"Go back to our village and warn the people, tell them to get ready for evacuation" the teacher's voice seemed firmer this time
Amidamaru's eyes seemed unsure, but he had trusted this man all his life, there would be no doubting with his commands. As Amidamaru was about to return, the teacher stood up, the creaking of the old temple's floor stopped Amidamaru. He turned around to see his teacher approach before him. His gleaming, green eyes looked sharp as an eagle's. His muscular face was tough yet young. He spoke once again…
"Amidamaru" he looked at his student with pure love
"Yes, sensei?" Amidamaru bowed before him
"I'm am trusting you to have faith in my decisions"
Amidamaru's eyes widen "how could he know what I was thinking?" he thought
"In a world this hateful, it is hard to trust, but it is what separates the victorious from the failures. When there is trust, there is power and unity, Amidamaru, remember that" the teacher's voice was like that of a father, he putted his hands over his student's shoulder
Amidamaru looked up and smiled "Yes, sensei, you are right, I trust in your decisions and in you"
"Very well, now go my apprentice, run like the swift deer and tell our people what I ordered, do this for Yuri"
"Yes, sensei" Amidamaru stood up and run out the temple, he ran twice as hard, he didn't bother to shove all the stinging branches and leaves, he knew his mission and his teacher had given him strength to carry it as fast as possible.
"Yuri, I am coming" he whispered
The teacher looked out to the dark forest; he then looked up to the brilliant moon.
"Trust… such a strong word, I dare say that men have failed because they lack this" he said to himself with firm gaze into the sky "Amidamaru, do not fail me"
It was like minutes pass, Amidamaru's feet had sore with all the running, but he didn't stop to rest nor think about it. His mind was set into his teacher's order. Finally, the thick forest was passing and the village was in near sight. He gave into a smile. But as he came nearer to the village, his heart sank, he stop dead at what he saw.
The village was silent, the grounds were filled with blood and dead bodies. Screams were heard once in a while, footsteps of fear ran through the whole village.
"Yuri!" Amidamaru started screaming as he ran pass dead bodies lying on the ground, tears of fear came down and his hand was shaking ready on his sword. He stopped at a house, blood was already spilled there. Amidamaru's eyes was in rage, he ran into the house and busted the door open. The house was empty. He ran out and saw three soldiers with bloody swords.
"What have you done!" Amidamaru screamed as attacking the soldiers quickly, the three dropped dead
Tears fell on the bloody sword of the raged samurai. He ran again into the forest, he knew where Yuri was, it was their hiding place, a secret where only the two of them knew.
"Yuri… Yuri, please be well" he whispered as he sobbed uncontrollably and ran much faster
At the end of the forest was a quiet pond; it's shimmering surface was like a mirror to the moon, it laid on top of it and danced with the hundred of stars. The environment was quite, all to quiet.
"What has happened? The chirping of the crickets never fades here. Something here isn't right" Amidamaru whispered to himself
Just then, he heard a struggling voice somewhere, that of a woman
"Yuri" his eyes flashed with fear
Amidamaru went to the distance of Yuri's voice, which led to a nearby bush. He anticipated a few steeps, afraid of what he might see. But one quick shove of the bush, his eyes went from fear to pain.
"Yuri!"
Yuri, a girl with snow-white skin and flushing red cheeks with purple hair was tied up and couldn't speak because of a cloth between her mouth. Tears stream freely as her deep, blue eyes showed total fear.
Amidamaru gently untied her and got out the cloth between her mouth. Yuri immediately threw herself into her savior. She sobbed and tried to talk
"Ami! I'm so glad you came! I thought you had left me!" she said in an uncontrolled, shaking voice
"What have they done to you, Yuri?" Amidamaru squeezed her beloved tightly
"They… they… they barging into the house, they took my family, but they brought me here and… and…" her sobs and tears were now drowning her
"What? What did they do, Yuri?" he took her by the shoulders as looked at her with the same pain she was bearing
"Oh, Ami, they raped me! They pushed me to the ground and…and…" she fell into Amidamaru's arms again, his wide, open arms was like a bed of comfort
Amidamaru's mouth failed to say anything. He was outraged, mad, and pained by what the Tiger clan did. He tightly hugged Yuri as if she was a long, lost person. Tears start falling from his eyes too. Yuri looked at his with crystal clear gaze
"Ami, you must not weep, I had encounter too much pain and misery, and too see you crying would only add it more" he scooped Amidamaru's face with her gentle hand
He took his hand and covered her right hand as they stared at each other.
"I am just happy and overjoyed to see you alright" he hugged her back
"I am glad you are too, but our village, the people" Yuri started
"Yes, Teacher had instructed me to go here and warn our people, but it seems as though the Tiger Clan had gotten here first" Amidamaru explained
"Yes, and I am afraid you can no longer see him…" a voice from behind them said…
snap
"AMIDAMARU! Are you ok!" it was Yoh's voice shouting
His sight was blurry, all was just a mere misty view, then he recognized Yoh with a troubled face on.
"What happened, Yoh?" Amidamaru asked, looking around to see they were back to reality on top of the moving train
"Your eyes suddenly went blank, it was really weird!" Yoh explained
"It did? I am sorry for worrying you"
"You were shouting to kill someone! It was like you were possessed!" Yoh continued
"What!" Amidamaru was shocked
"And even more… you tried to kill me; you raised your sword to me…" Yoh's eyes was mixed with pain and pity
The howling wind continued to sway them in the other direction, the cold wind suddenly became much colder. Amidamaru and Yoh stared at each other.
Hahahah! Thrilling ain't it! Now this is going somewhere! Chap 3 more top come!