Ch 20
V 1.0
See A/Ns at end of chapter.
Watching the sun rise was very much an underrated activity.
Keitaro was standing at the railing of the third floor deck, facing toward the east as the night sky started to lighten. It was not the first time he had been awake at this hour, waiting for the day to begin. However, almost every time he had done so he had been on pirate watch on the island excavation in the Gulf of Thailand. Either that, or he was waiting for something really bad to happen, like what was to take place today.
He had awoken this morning to find Kanako wrapped around him in his futon, apparently having snuck in the night before. Since they were both still dressed in their sleeping clothes, it did not bother Keitaro very much. On the other hand, trying to get out of the futon without waking her was like trying to escape from a particularly affectionate bear trap.
Looking down at his battered Luminox watch, Keitaro saw that it was shortly before six in the morning. The duel was scheduled to start at 8:00 AM, and there was not much he could do until then. His appetite was pretty much shot, so eating more than some toast and tea was out of the question. He did not want to lay around in his room, and he had finally caught up will all the minor repairs around the Sou. The last repair had ironically been the first one he had intended to do, repairing the hole in the floor of Naru's room. It had not been a stressful job after all, since by that time he and Naru had a civil if slightly formal relationship. Nonetheless, he had brought along Kanako as a chaperone, and the three had wound up talking about various study related matters while he and Kana were working.
After finally getting out of the futon, Keitaro had looked over at the sheathed Hina sword and the two wooden bokken had had been left on the table in his room. Even now, with the ofuda seals applied to it, he could almost feel the sword humming, as though it was eager for the day's activities to begin. Repressing a shudder, Keitaro decided he needed some air, and decided to go to the upper deck. His sweatpants and t-shirt were sufficient to walk around the house in, so he put on some slippers and quietly left his room.
Looking out at the sun peaking out over the horizon of Tokyo Bay, Keitaro sighed and leaned forward against the railing. It was times like this that he wished that he was a smoker like Haruka was, just so he would have something to do with his hands. But if the smell had not been sufficient, his run-ins with some smokers back in Thailand had pretty much put him off the idea.
Just as the bottom edge of the sun finally cleared the ocean horizon, Keitaro heard something behind him, the faintest squeak of wood rubbing against something. Turning his head slightly, Keitaro was able to glimpse who was now standing behind him and gave a polite greeting. "Good morning, Tsuruko-san."
Tsuruko Aoyama stepped forward so she was beside him and returned the greeting. "Good morning, Keitaro-san. You're up early today."
"Didn't have a choice, I woke up at about half an hour ago and couldn't go back to sleep. Decided to come and watch the sun rise before I went to the family shrine." Keitaro was looking back out toward Tokyo Bay.
Tsuruko stood beside him and simply stayed silent as she watched the sun rise beside him. She wanted to say something, but what could you say to the person that would going to fight a potentially harmful duel with her sister? Glancing at the young dorm manager out of the corner of her eye, she could see that there was some tension evident in his body, but otherwise his posture did not betray any other sign of his thoughts.
After about ten minutes, Keitaro straightened up from where he was leaning against the rail. Turning toward Tsuruko slightly, he gave a slight bow. "Tsuruko-san, I feel I must apologize in advance for what is to occur today. I wish it did not get to this point, because I am afraid I will wind up hurting your sister in this duel."
Tsuruko returned the bow. "You are not to blame for this unfortunate affair. I fear it was because we did not understand the depths of Motoko-chan's feelings that this unfortunate chain of events took place. Therefore it is the Aoyama that are to blame for this."
Keitaro sighed. "I only wish to resolve this with the minimum amount of trouble. But I fear that will not be enough." He looked her straight in the eyes. "If I can say something without offending you, Tsuruko-san?" He waited for her to nod before continuing. "Please do not be too harsh on Motoko-san after this is all done. She looks up to you and your family, and I believe she fears disappointing you more than she does almost anything else."
Seeing Tsuruko give a non-committal nod, Keitaro gave a short bow. "I will see you and your sister shortly. Haruka will come up to your room to escort you the duel site. I wish you and your sister the best of luck." With that he turned and walked through the door leading to the stairs, leaving a thoughtful Tsuruko on the deck.
After a quick breakfast of tea and buttered toast, and seeing that a breakfast tray was ready for the Aoyama sisters, Keitaro returned to his room to change his clothes. Finding his room empty, he quickly put on a grey gi and black hakama, tying the straps tightly around his waist, before pulling on a pair of split toe tabi socks. Finally, he went into his dresser and pulled out an oblong wooden box and placed it on top and opened it.
Pulling out the blood red belt contained inside, Keitaro slowly, carefully, tied it around his waist. Centering the knot and making sure the ends were even with the gold Urashima crest on the left side, he finally turned and walked toward the full length mirror on the back of his room door and looked at the image reflected back at him.
"The red belt is the highest symbol of our family style, Keitaro-kun." The voice of Hina Urashima echoed in his mind. "It is not a rank, nor a trophy. It is a reminder of the vows we swore when trained to protect ourselves and those who cannot protect themselves. It reminds us that we fight and spill blood, and sometimes take lives, so that others may live."
Looking at the Urashima family crest embroidered on the end of the belt, Keitaro continued hearing his Granny's voice. "Any person can give their life for a cause, but it is a greater achievement to save a life, especially that of their family. The red belt is given to those that have taken life to protect someone who could not protect themselves. The red belt with the family crest is given to someone who has protected a family member from deadly attack. For without our family and our honor, the Urashima would cease to exist."
Remembering Hina presenting the uncovered wooden box to him with both hands while bowing deeply to him, he remembered what she said next. "For protecting a family member from certain grave injury and death, you are hereby presented with this belt, to remind you of the duty you have fulfilled, of the duty you will carry out from now on, and the duty you will teach to our future descendants. May these words and our family never be forgotten."
Seeing that his clothing were in order, Keitaro opened his door, only to find Haruka on the other side, her hand up as if to knock. She smiled slightly upon seeing her nephew in front of her. "Ready for today, Kei-kun?" she asked.
"If I say no, can we call this off?" Keitaro asked facetiously. His aunt shook her head. "Then I guess I'm as ready as I'm going to get. I was going to go to the family shrine and pray before getting Kanako and heading to the grove."
Haruka nodded. The Urashima family shrine was a small room that only family members had access to. There were some family pictures and talismans there, as well as some incense sticks to light and some mats to kneel on.
"How are things with the other tenants?" asked Keitaro. It was not an idle question; the Urashima and the Aoyama did not want this duel to become public knowledge, so they were doing their best to keep things quiet.
"They were told at dinner last night that Tsuruko-san is visiting, and that Motoko-san is spending all her time with her. Su-chan is working in her shop, Kitsune-san is in her room either drunk or writing, Naru-san is studying, and Shinobu-chan is… suspicious." Haruka replied.
"How so?" Keitaro asked. The young student was not the most inquisitive tenant they had.
"She is the one that has been preparing the food for the Aoyama, so she has interacted with them. Plus she knows that the two are not happy with each other, so Shinobu-chan knows something is wrong," the older Urashima responded.
Keitaro sighed. "There really isn't much we can do about that. What is she doing now?"
"Clean-up in the kitchen, then laundry for the others. She's actually making more than a few yen doing that. So she should be indoors until later today." Haruka answered.
"Good enough. Let me tell Kanako what I'm doing, and we'll meet here at…" Looking over at his clock, he could see it was 7:05 AM. "Seven thirty. I see you are already dressed for this." Haruka was wearing a dark blue gi top and black hakama.
"Yeah, can't exactly wear jeans and a t-shirt for this." Haruka walked over to his table and sat down. Looking over some of his books, she started to flip through one of them. "I'll wait for you here."
"OK." With that Keitaro left the room.
Motoko was feeling something she had very little experience with; nervousness.
While she had been tested in her family school, and had trained in the school kendo club, she had never felt the stomach twisting sensation she was experiencing now. Before, the worst that could happen would be that she would have to redo a training section of her family style, but now the stakes were much higher.
Awakening at daybreak, Motoko had barely opened her eyes only to see her older sister slip out the room door. Deducing that she had some errand to run, Motoko got up out of her futon and started to get ready for the day. Washing up in the small bathroom attached to her room, she came out and started dressing, starting with the plain white panties and the long white cloth strip she used to bind down her breasts.
Carefully wrapping the cloth around her chest with the skill learned from experience, Motoko was finally able to tuck the end of the strip under her left arm. Bouncing on her toes for a few moments, she was able to confirm that the bindings were tight enough to compress her chest to where it would not get in her way - a not insignificant concern to a swordswoman - but not tight enough to restrict her breathing or cause discomfort.
Looking down at her wrapped chest, Motoko, not for the first time, wondered about the irony of someone like her having a chest like she did. While Kitsune had the largest chest of the residents of the Sou, Motoko was actually the second largest, right in front of Naru. However, it was not widely realized, as Motoko would always have her chest covered, even in the hot springs, with a towel or some other garment whenever there was someone around her.
Turning to open her dresser drawer to pull out a fresh gi top, Motoko was badly startled to see her sister in her room, leaning up against the wall by the door. She knew she had been distracted of late, but not to the point where she would not notice someone enter her room.
"I was wondering why you were going through all that trouble, you know. You would wear the bindings, but not wear fundoshi (traditional Japanese underwear)." Tsuruko remarked, staying where she was.
"Modern bras do not compress my chest enough to not get in the way while I fight." Motoko replied stiffly. It had mortified her when she had started to develop that her breasts would get in the way of her arms when she was using her sword. Finally, one of the older women of the clan had taught her how to bind her chest and that was now her preferred undergarment. In the instances where she could not let the bindings be seen, such as when she was wearing her school uniform, she would wear a chemise over it.
"Do you know how many girls your age would kill to have a chest like that?" Tsuruko pushed herself away from the wall and walked toward the center of the room.
"I am not like most girls my age." An understatement for the ages, to be sure. Never mind the fact that she looked like the idealized Japanese beauty, the Yamato Nadeshiko... physically at least, with her slender figure, long black hair, and porcelain complexion . She was somewhat lacking in the humility and domestic ability departments, however.
"Haruka-san will come to lead us to the duel site before eight this morning," Tsuruko stated briskly, all humor gone from her voice. "Shinobu-chan has prepared us another breakfast tray. You finish getting ready and we will eat here again." Opening the door, she slipped out of the room again.
Sighing, Motoko pulled out a white gi and carefully put it on. The black hakama came on next, tied carefully low on her hips. Tabi socks went on last. Sitting down on the mat next to her table, she took a comb and carefully but quickly ran it through her hair. Finally, taking a length of red ribbon, she tied her hair back in a long loose pony tail, with only a few wispy tendrils in front of her face.
Hearing a tapping on her door, Motoko rose and opened it, fully expecting to see her sister with a food tray again. However, to her surprise, she found Shinobu standing in front of her.
"Good morning, Shinobu-chan. How can I help you?" The young domestic of the Sou looked nervous, yet she had a determined look on her face.
"Motoko-sempai… is there something wrong that is happening? You have not been around the house or at school for the last few days." Shinobu had her hands clasped in front of her, but her eyes were fixed on Motoko's face.
"It is not something you should be concerned about, Shinobu-chan. It is a family matter that my sister and myself are dealing with." Motoko tried to smile reassuringly, but she was afraid it probably came out as a grimace.
"A family matter involving the Urashima?" Shinobu was still looking at Motoko determinedly.
Motoko cursed under her breath. Shinobu was so unassuming a presence that it was easy to underestimate her. However, there was an intelligent mind behind that cute face.
"It is something that is being dealt with, Shinobu-chan. You should not worry about it." The voice behind the young tenant would have startled most people, but except for a slight twitch, Shinobu stayed steady.
"Good morning, Tsuruko-san." The young girl turned and looked at the older Aoyama standing behind her, holding a tray loaded with food. "I hope you find breakfast to your liking."
"We have found all of your food to our liking. I heard said that you hope to become a chef once you become older?" Tsuruko was smiling pleasantly as Shinobu stepped aside to let her enter the room.
"My family owned a restaurant, and my parents taught me how to cook. Hopefully someday I will be able to do well enough to have my own place." Shinobu smiled, or at least tried to. Turning to Motoko, she nodded and said, "If there is anything I can do for you, Motoko-sempai, please let me know. Have a good morning." Turning, she walked away from the room.
Placing the tray on the table, Tsuruko started laying out the plates of food. "Shinobu-chan is a very nice girl, isn't she?" she remarked.
"Yes, she is." Motoko sat down at looked at the steamed rice and fish in the bowl before her, as well as the miso soup, sliced pickles, and hot tea. Looking up at Tsuruko, she could not come up with anything else to say. Instead, she murmured Itadakimasu in unison with her sister and started to eat.
Kneeling on a mat laid down on the grass, Keitaro was trying to maintain his calm center. It was working, to a certain extent. He was physically calm, but his mind kept going around in circles.
He knew that Motoko was a dan ranked kendoist, someone who had been training for most of her life in her chosen art. She was nowhere near what someone would call a pushover. Yet he was afraid of what could occur in the upcoming fight. Because no matter how well she was trained, her family school was effective only within a certain niche of combat. And the way that he and other Urashima were trained to fight was way beyond her likely experience.
But there was no question as to letting Motoko win the fight. For one thing, it would legitimatize her tendency to attack without justification. As bad as it was for her to attack him, when he could defend himself, it was a lot worse for her to assault someone without the training or the constitution that would keep them from getting seriously hurt. Another reason was that it would be dishonorable, to both his family and hers.
There was one way that Keitaro could see that both of their families could end this matter with their honor intact… Motoko had to be soundly defeated, to the point where it was obvious to all that she had lost. Given how he was trained, it was going to be more than a little painful to the young kendoist. However, it would hopefully keep Motoko from being more severely punished by her family for her misconduct.
Keitaro could not see her from where he was, but he knew that Kanako was standing behind him, the sheathed and sealed Juuchi Yosamu thrust through her belt over her hakama. A bokken was in her hands, with one hand on the handle and one on the blade section. It was not a ready position, but the wooden blade could still be deployed very fast… or dropped so she could draw the real blade in her belt. Kanako was dressed in a black gi and black hakama, with a black belt tied over it for the sword. In her case, it was not just a belt for a sword, but one that signified her current level in the Urashima family art; one that had used their training to defend someone or themselves from danger. Her hair was worn loose and was fluttering in the slight breeze flowing through the clearing.
Looking down the path leading to the Sou, Keitaro could see three people walking toward him and his sister. After a moment he could see it was Tsuruko and Motoko, with Haruka leading them. Waiting for them to enter the clearing, and Haruka having lead them to their spot opposite him about ten paces away, Keitaro then rose to his feet, holding his bokken by the blade in his off hand.
Haruka, now standing in the center of the clearing, began to speak in a voice that was clear to all participants. "Know all that we are here for a duel demanded by Motoko Aoyama of the Aoyama Clan, against Keitaro Urashima of the Urashima Clan. This duel is being fought because it is alleged that Keitaro Urashima has questioned the honor of Motoko Aoyama and that the only way to make this right is through an honor duel. Aoyama-san, do you still wish to continue with this duel?"
"Yes, I do." Motoko answered in a strong voice. Her sister stood behind her with no expression on her face.
"Urashima-san, do you wish to continue with this duel?" Haruka now turned toward her nephew.
"Yes, I do." Keitaro's voice was steady, but in no way enthusiastic.
"Do you both have your seconds with you?" This was a rhetorical question, as Tsuruko and Kanako were next to their respective family members. The two fighters answered in the affirmative anyway.
"This duel is to be fought with bokken only. No other weapons are permitted. The duel will be restricted to the white chalk circle we are currently standing in." The circle measured fifteen paces across. "Seconds will stand outside the circle and will not interfere with the fight unless I either declare the duel over or that there has been a major rule violation. In that case, the seconds can use what force and weapons necessary to protect the dueler or themselves." Tsuruko had Motoko's katana thrust through her belt as well as holding a bokken. Motoko was holding a bokken as well.
"The rules of this fight are as such. Once this fight starts, it will continue until declared over: no time outs. No crippling or potentially fatal strikes. No permanently injuring strikes to the eyes, ears, or throat. Physical empty hand techniques and ki and chi techniques are allowed if you chose to use them, as long as they follow the previous rules. You must stay in the marked area; if both feet leave the circle you are out and declared the loser. The duel will be declared over should a fighter lose consciousness, gives up, or has violated a major rule. In case of a major rule violation, only one warning may be given if it is apparent that the rule is about to be violated. If the move is already carried out, or the warning ignored, the fighter will be declared the loser. The two fighters will now step forward."
Motoko and Keitaro both stepped into the marked area, halting three steps away from each other, Haruka between them and to the side. "Fighters turn and bow toward the official." Both fighters turned and bowed toward Haruka. "Now turn and bow toward each other." Motoko and Keitaro both bowed, both of them keeping their eyes up and toward their opponent. "Swords at the ready…" Both fighters raised their bokken and gripped them with both hands. Raising her hand in the air as she stepped out of the circle, Haruka dropped it in a slicing motion. "…Start!"
A/N – Obviously, the duel takes place in the next chapter. I had planned to do it in this one, because seriously, twenty chapters to get to this point. *sweatdrops*
However, since I just keep writing and writing, I would not be able to put the fight in this chapter without a delay of another couple days. So what I decided to do is post what I have up to the fight, and then dedicate the next chapter to the fight itself. It may not be the 3k word length I usually go for (although I doubt it will be short), but what I will do is post the fight chapter as soon as it is done, by Friday at the latest. So my apologies to everyone expecting the big fight.
A/N 2 – As of 0000 PDT 18Oct2011, this story has 68,796 Hits, 166 Reviews, 18 C2 listings, 266 Favorite listings, and 239 Story Alerts. Thanks everyone. *thumbs ups*