COPYRIGHT INFORMATION: The characters here only belong to CLAMP, well probably for some of those that I created myself. Other than that, they are strictly the property of the CLAMP manga team of four women and they rock!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you again for your reviews. You know who you are who I am thanking. I do hope that there can be more inspirations for me to continue the story. And oh yes, this story will start off like a manga chapter system. This means that there will be short arcs and so, and all these arcs will combine together to make this story. Okay, for example, this chapter is the last part of this current arc. Well…the next will be…hmmm…will tell later at the end. And I'll write some comments at the bottom later. Have fun reading!
ASSUMPTIONS MADE: 1. Kurogane was more timid in his childhood because of trauma of being bullied; 2. May contain concepts borrowed from Gundam Seed / Destiny.
CHRONICLE FOUR: RESCUE OF THE PRINCESS by xXredEMPTionXx
The Sun had risen, and the streets had become busy once again as a new day arrived. In the dark alleys of the streets, a boy no less than six years of age, with black hair and red eyes, was suddenly pushed against the wall by a group of older boys.
"Where is the girl?" The eldest boy demanded, grabbing hold of Kuro-chan's neck and pushing his back against the cold grey stone wall. The little boy could only try to resist by attempting to pull away the strong arm pushing him up against the wall.
"I-I d-don't know!" He could only defend himself timidly through his weak voice. After all, he was still young and was unable to resist the boys who were several years ahead of him in age and in strength too. "She was gone when I woke up."
"Temee baka-yarou," he replied back, attempting to compress Kuro-chan's neck. The boy with red eyes tried to cling for dear life as he tried to pull away the strong grip of the big bully. "I told you so. If you made her disappear I'll kill you, devil's offspring."
Help me…Tomoyo-sama…I can't breathe…
The grip on Kuro-chan's neck began to get tighter as the big bully attempted to strangle him. The black-haired boy could only resist back by trying to push back the arm grip.
I don't believe in failing.
The image of Tomoyo flashed in his mind. The night before, she had displayed her determination to find her sister no matter how bad the conditions were. More images began to flash through his mind, with that of her smiling or showing enthusiasm in a world of sadness.
You're right…Failure does not need to be believed…
A mysterious phenomenon occurred. Suddenly, with his determination, Kuro-chan pulled away the bully's strong grip on his neck. His irises dilating until there was only the red color with only a single small dot as his pupil. Kuro-chan stared fiercely at the group of older boys, who were stunned by his immense supernatural strength. The eldest boy, who had earlier pushed him against the wall, had fallen to the ground as a result.
"W-what are you?" He stammered for a moment, still shocked at what had just happened. He pointed a trembling finger at the young boy who had just overwhelmed him in strength. "That wasn't something human...!"
"I…I don't believe in failure!" Kuro-chan shouted out to him, his fists clenched as he stared aggressively at the bigger boy through his fiery red eyes which created fear in the group of boys. "I…I'll find ojousama, even if she was taken to all ends of this country!"
"Suit yourself!" The other boy answered back in fear. "Y-you are some demonic offspring! Get away from us!" He beckoned to the rest of the group before running off together with them back into the bright streets brimming with much people.
"I…I…I won the fight?" Kuro-chan spoke to himself, his eyes returning back to a normal state as he panted from the sudden outburst of strength. All of a sudden, he heard abrupt clapping coming from behind him. "Who's there?"
"Excellent, boy," came the reply from behind. He turned to see a towering figure wearing a straw hat to cover his own visage, and clapping once again. "So you really are of potential after all."
"Huh?"
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The young princess stirred to find herself lying on a mattress with a white silk blanket covering her. Rubbing her head, she remembered being carried off by the masked ninjas while she saw the figure of sleeping Kuro-chan becoming smaller and smaller. Getting up, she noticed the room was already too splendid to be a commoner's home since the sliding doors had pictures of cherry blossoms, and there was the smell of specially brewed tea emanating from a certain porcelain cup.
"Where…where is this place?" She continued to scan the room for any significant features. "This can't be a house in the city. Oneesama told me once how to see a commoner's home." There was no soul in sight, except for that of hers.
Could I have been in the palace already, after all?
She got up to explore the room. No doubt. It was indeed a place where only the nobility and the palace could create such a room. The windowless rice walls covered the room on all four sides, with the exception of one which had a few windows in which rays of sunlight shone through it. Eager to know the vicinity of the house, Tomoyo ran to find out her location. Tiptoeing to look through the window, her eyes saw that there were other houses too outside but enclosed with a large residential wall. There were several rock formations and fountains built with ponds on the green grass outside too.
"A noble home?" She questioned herself. "But which noble family? There are already over a hundred of them."
"Good morning, himesama," Tomoyo heard a voice from behind. She turned back to see a woman in an exquisite kimono who had knelt down and bowed before her. "Did you have a peaceful sleep?"
"Who are you?" Tomoyo asked the woman who had suddenly bowed down before her. "Why am I here?"
"Pardon my insolence, your highness," she answered back still not looking at the princess. "I am your loyal subordinate, Lady Yamazaki." The noble woman cleared her throat for a moment. "By an order of the Fujiwara family, my family is obliged to protect you from the plotting Oda family."
What is this lady talking about? She speaks a lot of funny terms…
Lady Yamazaki looked up at the princess, and suddenly discovered that she had been carried away in her words. Giving a slight laugh, she began to speak again. "Forgive me for confusing you, himesama," she reprimanded herself. "I forgot that the himesama is only a young girl, and doesn't understand anything."
Tomoyo gave an 'uhhh' look. After all, she couldn't comprehend what this noble woman was speaking at all. "Where is my sister?" She could only ask one important question. "Is she lost?"
"Tomoko-himesama has already returned to the palace, your highness," Lady Yamazaki replied back with honourifics added into her language. "You need not worry about her anymore."
"What about Kuro-chan?"
"Who is it, your highness?"
"Kuro-chan."
"Is he a commoner?" Lady Yamazaki answered back, confused at what the princess was saying.
"He's not a commoner!" Tomoyo replied back at instance of the word 'commoner'. "He's my friend!"
"Tomoyo-himesama," the noble woman responded back to her. "Commoners and us nobility never mix. It is never possible." Noticing that the princess was greatly upset by her own sweeping statement, the noble lady took a deep bow before Tomoyo again. "I shall take my leave first, your highness. You're free to roam the Yamazaki residence at your own will."
The little princess perched out at the window again, and looked in the far distance of the city littered with much of the shop houses and temples. The commoner sections of the city.
Kuro-chan is somewhere out there…I wonder where?
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"Those eyes," Kuro-chan was confused at what the man with the straw hat had mentioned earlier about words he had never heard before. "I have never seen anyone with red eyes before."
"I hate anything red!" The boy threw his tantrum as the mysterious man commented. Walking to a nearby pebble, he kicked it into a far off place. "I wish I had normal eyes."
"How would you see 'normal' as?" Came the sudden comment on Kuro-chan's words. "Does it mean that everything would have to be perfect? Two eyes? Four limbs? A single nose and mouth?" He took off his straw hat to shock the little boy.
There was a big scar on the tall man's face, that of one which streaked from his left temple to over his closed left eye and extending down to a little above the upper lip. Kuro-chan took a step back, shocked by the man's hideous look.
"Nobody can control your fate, boy," he replied back replacing the straw hat on his head again to cover his scarred face. "Live to the fullest. You'll be a great warrior to whoever hires your service in future." The warrior, as indicated by the two long curved sword sheaths hanging from his waist, began to walk away into the busy streets, leaving a confused Kuro-chan.
"Wait!" The little boy realized his senses that this was an opportunity to become strong. "When can we meet again?"
"If fate decides so, boy."
"I want you to make me strong," Kuro-chan ran in front of the warrior and knelt down before him. "Could you take me in as a student, mister?"
"Your eyes do not show sincerity," came the sudden slow reply. "Your mind is preoccupied at the same time."
I want to become strong…to protect others…
"I…I want to see someone for the last time," Kuro-chan replied back continuing to kneel on the floor. "Allow me to do so please…sensei."
"Very well," the warrior answered back at the boy's request. "But…"
His words were to be cut short by a certain deafening sound of an explosion in a nearby district. There was a sudden outburst of fire that emerged from one of the houses.
"The corrupted and bickering nobles of Kyoto," he commented with disgust. "Always fighting with each other for the favour of the imperial household, and creating an internal crisis."
It suddenly dawned on Kuro-chan finally that Tomoyo could have belonged to such a social class, given her elegant ness and her good manners. He suddenly began to worry if that house was that of her family's.
I've got to find out…
On impulse, the boy with the red eyes ran towards the nobility district of the city. Turning his head back to his teacher, he shouted back, "I'll be back soon!"
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The noble woman clutched her shoulder which was bleeding from a shuriken attack. Her silk kimono now stained with much blood, with one other hand guiding the young princess.
"Himesama, pardon me for my carelessness," Lady Yamazaki spoke out weakly as she tried to stop the bleeding. "I didn't expect them to attack in the day."
"Lady Yamazaki," Tomoyo replied back with concern at the profuse bleeding. "You shouldn't move much. The bleeding will worsen like that."
"It is the duty of my family to protect the imperial household," she rebutted the princess' advice. "To think the Oda family would use such despicable methods to bribe our servants into becoming informers!"
"It's not your fault," the princess replied back.
"Are we going to stay here or move?" She answered back, pointing to the flames which had engulfed several rooms already.
It was not long before the noble woman and young princess had made their way onto the garden of the house. There was no one to be in sight, which created suspicion in Yamazaki's mind. It was definitely too easy to let the princess escape.
"Alright, come out where you are from!" The noble woman shouted to the entire area. It was sudden that a squad of seven samurai class warriors came out from their hiding places. One of the samurai class warriors, probably the leader, held out a yellow scroll and opened it up. The noble woman knelt down before it.
"Lady Yamazaki," he read out the contents of the decree. "By order of the emperor, you have been found guilty of harbouring the princess in your home without telling at instance through the testimony of the Oda family. You have two choices: to be slain here, or to fight us."
"I would choose to fight," she spoke at instance in which suddenly she had stealth enough to draw out the samurai's sword and slash at him in which he fell. "A former warrior should never be underestimated."
Tomoyo could only look at the noble woman's sudden actions of attacking the samurai leader. Abruptly, the remaining warriors drew out their swords and pointed it at the Lady. She was panting and brandishing the curved blade at them, while signaling to the young princess to stay away.
W..what's going on now?
"Ojousama!" She heard a familiar voice from behind. Knowing who he was, she turned behind to see a boy with black hair and red eyes running towards her.
"Kuro-chan!"
"Are you okay?" He questioned and came up to her. "I heard an explosion around here, Tomoyo-sama."
"I told you not to call me sama or ojousama."
"Sorry," he suddenly made an expression of being embarrassed by his glitch. Tomoyo laughed at his expression.
"You're so cute!"
"You're Kuro-cham, aren't you?" He heard a shout from the lady who was brandishing her sword at the several samurai. "Take her to the horse carriage outside here! Leave here immediately!"
The young boy gave a gulp before taking Tomoyo's hand and turning back to the lady.
"What about you?"
"Never mind about me! Just go! Protect Tomoyo-sama!"
Kuro-chan was non-hesitant on running with Tomoyo. Together, they ran towards the gate until they were completely out of sight by the noble lady's eyes.
"Now, it's time to have some fun," she gave a slight grin as she moved her sword once again, her shoulder still bleeding but with her still going strong.
"Someone needs help here."
Lady Yamazaki looked at the source of the sound. It was a tall man with a straw hat covering his face. He looked up to show a certain hideous scar, but he also desired to have some fun in slashing too.
"You're most welcome, mister," she replied back as he drew out both swords from their sheaths.
"This is going to be fun."
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"Kuro-chan, you're leaving?" Tomoyo asked him sitting from the carriage. "Come back with me."
"Sorry, Tomoyo-sama," he lowered his head with a sad look on his face. "I've found my goal in life, and I probably be going away for some time."
"Don't call me Tomoyo-sama."
"Tomoyo-san," he answered back sadly and looking at her again. "So this is it."
"When can we meet?"
"If fate decides so," he responded to her query. He gave a rare smile back to her. "But I'm sure! We'll meet again!"
I do hope he can meet me again…
I want to meet her again…
Both minds interlinked as they thought of each other for the last time.
"Ojousama," the carriage man spoke. "We have to leave now."
Tomoyo nodded back to him. She peeked her head out of the carriage as she watched the figure of Kuro-chan becoming more distant and distant. Waving back to her, Kuro-chan knew that he was going to meet her again someday, definitely.
When I do come back, I want to find you again someday…
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The Sun was setting by the time the warrior had returned. Kuro-chan had agreed to meet him on the city outskirts, and he was already exhausted from the action on that day. He stirred from his nap as the veteran warrior stood near him.
"Good evening, sensei," he stood up instantly with enthusiasm for his training.
"What is your name first, seito?"
"Kuro-chan," he replied back eagerly. The warrior remained silent for a while.
"From now on, your name is no longer Kuro-chan," he replied back sternly to the young budding boy with enthusiastic red eyes.
"I…I have a new name?"
"Because you will be as strong as steel in battles," the warrior looked down at his new student. "You shall be called Kurogane. Remember that."
"My name is…Kurogane," he answered back. "I am Kurogane from now on."
Only the orange sunset accompanied them.
END OF CHRONICLE FOUR
CHRONICLE FIVE: THE PRINCESS AND THE NINJA
CONCLUSION: Ten years have passed since that fateful event that day. Tomoyo had almost forgotten that event as she matured into a fourteen year old child. One day, she was roaming the commoner streets when she gets into certain trouble…(new arc)
GLOSSARY: temee bakayarou – you idiot! In Japanese; himesama – princess
COMMENTS:
Asga: well…you've got your answer, right? Thanks for your review!
Sheo Darren: Haha…next arc will be more interesting. Thanks for your review too!
PeachPonta: I haven't read your story yet…haha…took me 'bout 3 hrs to complete this story. But I really like your story too. Anyway, many thanks for yer' review!