Unleashing Valor
By: Tellemicus Sundance
On a Razor's Edge
The dull thuds and whacks of wood on wood and wood on flesh sounded from a pair of swordsman that was training. They fought with a ferocity that in the outside world was unheard of. But in their tiny village it was an everyday event.
Ducked under a slash, he brought his wooden sword up in an arc. Tadashi managed to jump back and the sword passed through the air without even touching him. Taking a cautious step forward, he gave a fast jab at the boy's extended wrist. The wood slapped his hand, sending confusing sensations of numbness and pain up his arm. His sword dropped from his nerveless hand as he backed away, holding it gently.
Standing with his sword on his shoulder, Tadashi let a satisfied grin on his face. Almost carelessly, he glanced over at his grandfather and Taki who stood several paces away. Riyo was expressionless but Taki wasn't. She glared at him for a moment then turned her attention back to her strange friend.
As she started approaching, he gingerly tested his hand. Flexing his fingers slowly, he could feel that it would be sore for several days. But other than that, it was just fine.
He was going to kill Tadashi for this. He hated being hurt like Tadashi was doing to him everyday, without fail. It was maddening, infuriating… in fact he just couldn't think of the proper word to use. But his anger rose with each pulse of pain that raced from his hand to his brain. Then, Taki's shadow enveloped his hands and he looked up at her.
Holding his fallen weapon out, she looked at him carefully in the eyes. As he took the sword, she said, "Please, my friend, do not think… just fight."
"Just fight?"
"Hai," she confirmed. "Just fight."
"Just fight," he mused as she bowed and hurried back to her former position.
Closing his eyes, he let his breath out and drew in a slow, deep one. With all his self-will, he made his mind go blank, only Taki's words remained. Just fight. With difficulty he suppressed his anger and slowly opened his eyes. Just fight. Standing in front of him was Tadashi. Just fight. Then in an instant, he understood.
He understood what she meant.
It was like an awakening in his brain. Everything seemed to be in perfect alignment with one another. He just couldn't describe it: the wind pulling at his hair and clothing and the rustle of the trees and their leaves. It was as if he had become one with his surroundings. Everything had lost its identity, including him.
He watched his opponent as he slowly flexed his grip on his weapon and brought it up into position. He could see the look of concentration on his face and he knew that he was in the same mind frame. He didn't even notice himself setting up for an attack; it was all instinct
Then, they struck.
The clash of their weapons sounded loudly as they struck head on with one another. Drawing his weapon back, he stepped back, avoiding his opponent's following kick. Bringing his sword down in an arc, he hit only air as his opponent leaned out of the way. As his opponent brought his own sword up in an arc, he used his momentum to duck under it.
Lunging to the side, they rolled off each other's backs, swinging their weapons full force. Then, with a burst of speed, they brought their swords up to the other's throats without touching.
A draw.
Then, as suddenly as his awakening had occurred, it disappeared. He became himself again. In his mind replayed the fight that he'd just fought. To his utmost surprise, he realized that he and Tadashi had been fighting with speeds that no normal person could possibly comprehend. He was greatly surprised to find himself breathing as easily as he would walk down a path.
It was startling; had he been able to move like that only because he'd lost all identity? If that were true, it would explain why he'd been being beaten everyday. He had been slow, much too slow. He wasn't sure if he was relieved to have found this discovery or not.
He barely noticed Tadashi's surprised expression and following bow of respect. Snapping from his revere, he bowed as well. Looking back toward Riyo, he saw a look of pride on his face. Riyo knew what he'd found mere moments ago. He knew that the real test would soon begin.
Grunting in his aggravation, the warrior stopped his stretches to collect his thoughts. Even though it had been a while since it happened, those memories always seemed to creep up on him when he was least suspecting. Good memories, happy memories…which only ended in sorrow, pain, and heartache.
They always came back.
Dressed in a black vest over a sleeveless shirt, he face was once again covered. In his gloved hands was the katana that meant the world to him. Now that he was healed enough, he pushed himself very hard in his strenuous training regime.
The mask was a simple pair of handkerchiefs again. The top handkerchief was pulled down over his dark eyes which where glaring unseeingly through the eyeholes. The second half covered his cheeks, nose, and lower face. There was only a sliver of an opening between them, which allowed a person to see that the mask was two separate pieces. However, covering his eyeholes was a strip of cloth, effectively blinding him to his immediate area.
Sighing slightly, he resumed his workout. Swinging and slashing his katana around him in deadly arcs, he focused on his surroundings through his other senses. His awareness of his surroundings multiplied in leaps and bounds whenever he allowed it come out.
As it was, he was more concerned with not cutting his katana blade into stonewalls or stray piece of old machinery. The routine itself was as much instinctive to him as breathing was.
Thus when the entrance to the factory suddenly creaked open, he was able to detect it. The small gust of wind from the closing door sent a faint scent of a familiar person up his nose. It was a girl he knew.
Yumi.
Grinning under his mask, he began focusing on his routine. He turned his already fluid movements into graceful swirls and steps. It appeared as though he was dancing.
Showoff, his conscience barked at him. That only caused his grin to change into a devilish smirk of pride.
He could feel her eyes upon him. She watched him for several minutes, crouching as low to the floor of the platform as she could. Then, slowly and cautiously, she started to move closer towards him.
She was incredibly quiet about her movement. Had he not been able to smell and hear her, he wouldn't have even noticed her approach. She worked her way down toward the pile of his weapons he lain on the floor.
Realizing what she was hoping to do, he stopped in mid-swing. Faster than the eye could follow, his hand dove into a pocket of his pants then re-emerged with a pair of blades. Even with his eyes covered, he cast the shuriken stars roughly over at her.
Yumi, who'd been in the process of picking up one of his katana, froze instantly. Shit, that the only thought that raced through her mind. There, imbedded in the concrete in front of her hand and on the wall by her face, was a pair of still quivering shuriken-throwing stars.
"Bad idea," the warrior said indifferently.
Standing up, Yumi faced him. In the darkness of the factory, she'd not been able to notice it before, but now she was surprised. He wore a strip of cloth over his eyes. That would mean that he'd somehow known that she was there, despite how quiet she'd tried to be, and had hurled the shuriken at her blindly.
Either he's extremely talented, she thought nervously. Or he's extremely lucky.
"Yeah," she said, trying to pretend that she was as confident as she wished she were. "But it was worth a try."
Sheathing his katana, the boy removed his blindfold. Dropping it, he looked at her as he tilted his head slightly to the side. A smirk pulled at his lips but he suppressed it.
"You can take that dumb mask off," she said in a forceful voice. "I know who you are."
The boy was silent for a moment as he just stared at her. Then, abruptly, he broke out laughing. "Really? Who am I?"
"You're Ulrich," she said without hesitation.
"Sorry," he said merrily. "Who's that?"
Snorting arrogantly, Yumi decided to set her case. "You were stabbed in the shoulder at the Temple. So was Ulrich. Now isn't it convenient that you and Ulrich would have the same wound on the same shoulder?"
"Considering the fact that you're accusing me of being someone I'm not," the boy said seriously. "I find that awfully convenient."
"Plus," Yumi continued. "When I was chasing you through town, you dove off that bridge. Then I learn that Ulrich comes back to Kadic covered in mud and drenched. Especially when he was suppose to get a ride from Sissi."
"Just one big coincidence," he declared adamantly. Smirking, he walked over to a pillar and leaned against it. He rested his hand on his katana, ever ready. "Although that chase was a lot of fun."
"Well then," Yumi said, grinning. She had him now; she could feel it. "I suppose I could just call Ulrich. After all, if you're not him and he's supposedly in Kadic, you won't have to worry about your cell going off."
As she was reaching for her cell phone, she heard a gasp from the boy. Looking up, she saw him suddenly grasp his head. His knees buckled and he collapsed on the floor, thrashing.
Confused, Yumi rushed forward to see what was wrong. It was only when she was got closer that she could see a dissipating mist covering the boy. There was something about the mist that gave her the creeps. Despite her desire to help the boy, and possibly unmask him, she stopped approaching.
Something wasn't right.
He was in pain. Writhing about, he tried to overcome it. It felt like something was trying to pry his mind open. He could feel it digging its claws into his consciousness. Darkness filtered into him and he couldn't stop it. Like was an anaconda, it wrapped itself around him and began squeezing and crushing his defenses.
As would an arrow through tinfoil, it suddenly dove inside him. In his mind's eye he stared in shock at another's eye. It ignored him as it began shuffling through his memories. He didn't know what it was looking for or what it was even doing. He just knew that he didn't trust it. It was a primal fear that reacted instantly.
The eye was somehow familiar, yet he couldn't place it where he'd seen it before. Then he slowly began to feel comfortable with it. The feeling of unrest began to settle. He could feel a comradeship with this being.
It wanted to help him prove himself to his friends and family. All it was asking in return was one thing. In another time and place, he'd have been repulsed by the idea: but not today. It had one desire, one request from him.
KILL THE GIRL!
Yumi watched as the boy thrashed on the floor in what was obviously pain. Then, abruptly, he stopped and sat up. If she'd felt any relief by this, it was instantly crushed. In the faint light of the moon, she glimpsed a symbol flickering in his eyes that she'd seen too many times. His body glowed the signature golden of a possessed being.
"XANA!" Yumi cried.
Seeing the boy reaching for his pocket, Yumi turned and sprinted for his stash of weapons. She heard him give a grunt of exertion and ducked herself instinctively. A shuriken sailed over her, mere millimeters where her head had been moments before.
Diving forward, she snatched the first weapon that within her grasp. A golden hilted katana. Twisting around, she was able to raise the katana in time to halt the possessed warrior's charge.
He stared at her for what seemed an eternity. The Xana eye flickered constantly in his eyes. It almost seemed as though there were two people inside him, one trying to attack and one trying not to.
Pushing the tip of the katana none too gently into his chin, she said, "I don't want to fight you. Xana has control of you; fight it!"
Finally after what seemed hours, he gasped out, "Yumi?"
The katana in his hand twitched slightly. Then it fell limply to the ground. While the hand that had held the deadly blade dropped to grab it again, his other hand intercepted it. Holding his wrist tightly, he slowly lifted it up as his knees buckled again.
Backing up a step, Yumi watched in confusion and fascination. If she hadn't known otherwise, it would seem that he was literally fighting with himself. While she had every reason run for help, Jeremy was still here after all, or knock the boy unconscious. Yet she couldn't seem to move herself.
His eyes drew her attention very quickly. His pupils were flickering constantly between the Xana symbol and his dark irises. When it would seem as though one would start gain strength, the other would come shooting back. It was the same with the golden aura that was around him. Yumi could only imagine the seesaw situation that was going on in his mind.
He was trembling constantly with an occasional jerk from his limbs. His head was lowered to his chest. Then, abruptly, his face rose into the moonlight. A retched scream of pain and anger tore its way out of him. The aura flashed brilliantly for a moment before shattering like glass.
The evil eye vanished with that scream.
And in that flash, so did he.
Shaking her head, Yumi tried to clear it of the light afterimage. As she was slowly able to refocus on her surroundings, she became aware of how deathly silent it had become.
Looking around she realized that her hero had disappeared yet again. There was not a trace of him anywhere. All his weapons were gone. His clothing and uniforms, even his blindfold was no longer in sight.
Only the gold hilted katana in her hand.
(A/N) Oh man. I am SO tired! Not just because of how ridiculously late it is. But because of all the rewriting and editing I've had to do for this chapter. Some of you will notice that this is Dancing on a Knife's Edge. But with a completely new twist to it. Despite the number of reviews I got from you guys that loved that original chapter, I have never really appreciated it. Due to the fact that I was basing it heavily off of 'Mask of Zorro.' I felt compelled to rewrite it.
I'm sorry to say that the situation at my home has not improved. I'm still without my powercable and thus completely unable to finish this story. While I'm sneaking to the library for this update, I don't have the time to work on the story.If I'm here too long, my parents will get suspicious. So consider yourselves lucky to be getting this latest chapter at all.
This chapter is rather different, isn't it?It's raisingquite a few questions. Like:was the boy telling the truth about his involvement with the Temple? Is he really Ulrich, hiding like in TWL? Or is he someone else?
Please take note, however, one thing: Yumi still gets possession of the katana. How do you think that will affect later chapters? Please, send me you guesses.
I'm very curious what many of you ACTUALLY think of this story and where you think it's heading.