So, I did that thing that I promised myself I wasn't gonna do anymore. You know, get stuck on petty things because I'm so paranoid about it being bad, trying to make my stories as perfect as possible. I had this chapter ready a long time ago, but it's been edited at least five times. To be honest, I'm still not completely satisfied with the end product, but at this point, I'm more frustrated that I didn't put it up sooner. And since part of this chapter got carried over to the next chapter, you shouldn't expect chapter 4 to be too far off.
Even though I'm upset with myself for not getting this to you guys sooner, I'm happy I'm uploading something tonight. Things are very unstable and out of control for me while writing this, and nothing makes me smile as much as when I see someone review one of my stories. Speaking of which, a big thank you to Mephilia Venus, Arashi Nao, and StRAngE ToASt for your reviews of the previous chapter. You have no idea what that means to me. So I hope you and everyone else reading will enjoy this new chapter. We'll be exploring Yaksha's capital city, and as I promised, I'll be introducing you to three incredible characters. I won't say who, as I'm sure you'll be able to pick them out for yourselves. Just remember that first impressions aren't everything... I was a little mean with some of them, but I love them all dearly. I hope this was worth the stupidly long wait.
"Do you see how everyone's standing?"
Hearing his sister's voice broke Ryo from the daze he was in, and prompted him to look around the foyer. He saw circles of people. In one group, Motonari, Ginchiyo, Motochika, and Yoshihiro. In another, Hideyoshi, Nene, Ieyasu, Nō, and Mitsuhide. Shingen, Kenshin, Aya and Ujiyasu were talking with each other by a window. Masamune had stormed off somewhere with his Braviary, and Yoshimoto had disappeared with Pineco. And he stood with his sister and Oichi in their own corner. It hadn't escaped his noticed; everyone was grouping together just as they had during the war.
"Yeah." he replied. His gaze fell to his feet, and he slumped against the wall, tired and disillusioned. "Masamune's right; nothing's changed at all."
"Don't say that, Lord Ryo." Oichi pleaded, voice stronger and more certain than she had been faced with an entire council room of Warlords. "The two of you have done so much to bring peace to Ransei."
"Obviously not enough." he faced her, tone sharp but not harsh. "Everyone seems so willing to return to the way things were. The second there's a problem, the first instinct is to solve it with a fight."
"That's been the conventional wisdom forever in Ransei." Ryoko mentioned, "And it's going to be some time before everyone can truly accept this new peace. Old habits die hard."
Ryo glanced at her in consideration briefly, but returned his attention to the floor quickly after. "I guess." he accepted, "Even so, it feels like we're the ones letting everyone else down. The hero in the legends was supposed to bring peace to the 17 kingdoms. Some job we're doing."
Ryoko sighed, placing her hands on her brother's shoulders. "You're being way too hard on yourself, as usual." she said, forcing him to meet her eyes once more, this time holding his gaze. "Look, things got out of control in there, sure. I think both of us didn't do our best at handling things. But I think you did the right thing calling off the conference early. All of our focus has been on Yaksha and organizing this conference for the last few days. We've barely gotten any rest. It's probably been the same for everyone else, don't you think? Maybe we all just need to take a moment to stop and breathe."
Ryo gave his sister a halfhearted smile, "I think you're right, Ryoko." he agreed, "But I'm not sure Yaksha can afford for us to take that breather."
"They can't afford for the rest of Ransei to be at each others' throats, either." she rebutted sternly, and removed her hands from his shoulders, "So let's try to take this slow, and see if letting the dust settle will make things easier on everyone."
The young man sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Alright, let's see if it helps." he conceded, "Your hunches are usually right, right?" She gave an optimistic smile at that.
"We can also take this chance to go into the city and try to figure out what's been keeping it afloat without a warlord." Oichi suggested.
"I was thinking the same thing." Ryoko agreed with a nod.
Ryo threw them a skeptical look. "You're not just looking for an excuse to go shopping, are you?"
Ryoko turned back to glare at her twin. "You think I'd be concerned about shopping at a time like this?!" she demanded, "I am taking this seriously, you know."
He gave a smirk at her outburst. "Come on. I saw you staring at those merchant booths while we were walking through the city."
"Well, of course I was looking! Did you expect me to walk through a crowded street with my eyes closed?" she spat. She noticed Oichi and Jigglypuff giggling at their banter. "You know, you could help me out here."
"Sorry." the pink-haired girl apologized, "It's been a while since I've seen you two fight like this." Ryo felt that there was a glint of sadness in her eyes as she made this observation. He couldn't help but be aware of the time that had passed since they had defeated Nobunaga and unified Ransei. Oichi visited Aurora quite often outside of the conferences. Obviously, though, she wasn't a daily part of their lives anymore. Despite Oichi's insistence that she was in contact with her brother, he hadn't personally seen or heard anything from Dragnor's mighty warlord since his defeat, and it didn't seem that anyone else had either. At the last conference, Ryo had gone around asking the other warlords if they'd had any contact with him. Ieyasu had stated a negative, as had Mitsuhide. When Lady Nō had admitted to knowing nothing of her former warlord's whereabouts, he decided there was no point asking anyone else. But in his absence, Oichi was left to tend to much of Dragnor's operation. It kept her away from Aurora more than she would want it to. Ryo was also under the impression that not everything between her and Nobunaga had been fully resolved yet. Being forced to stay in Dragnor so often only served to further remind her of their troubled relationship, no doubt. Compared to those stresses in her life, how refreshing it must be to just hear his and Ryoko's petty squabbles. If some halfhearted arguing was all they had to worry about, it was a good day.
"So what do you think we should do, Ryo?" His sister's voice broke him from his musings. He looked past Oichi to see the rest of the room. Some of the warlords had already gone their separate ways. He saw Mitsuhide and Lady Nō walking past them just then, making their way for the eastern corridor.
"I don't like that my partner Pokemon is keeping secrets from me, Mismagius." he vaguely heard Spectra's warlord say as she passed. Her Mismagius snickered out a vague response. Whatever she was going on about, he decided it was none of his business. It was near impossible to get a straight answer out of that woman, anyway. He saw who remained in the foyer once they left. Motonari, Hideyoshi, Nene, and the group of Shingen, Ujiyasu, Kenshin and Aya.
"I wanted input from everyone separately before tomorrow." he reminded them, "We may as well get that done while we can. We can head into the city later."
"Want to start with them?" Ryoko asked, noticing her brother was focused on the group of veterans.
"Yeah. I don't think we'll have to worry about starting anything there. Lord Shingen and Lord Kenshin prefer to save their fighting for the battlefield." he reasoned.
"Sounds good." his twin agreed. Looking between themselves to see that they were all in agreement, they walked to the other side of the room where the veteran warlords stood with their Pokemon.
"Heh, I was wondering when you'd come to chew us out." Shingen chuckled as they approached. The rest of their group glanced towards the approaching teens as well. "Not that it's undeserved; we certainly got carried away."
Ujiyasu scowled at the remark. "Of course you'd drag all of us down to make yourself look better. We weren't the ones who tried to settle things with more fighting, mind you. That goes the same for you, Kenshin, you battle-hungry fool."
"So that just leaves the two of us, then?" Aya giggled.
"You're not entirely without fault, either." Ujiyasu faced her, pointing a finger towards Kenshin. "If you decide to show up for these conferences, my dear, I expect you to keep him in check."
Ryo waved his hand dismissively. He'd spent enough time with the four of them to know that nothing would come of this exchange. "Yeah, everyone got out of control." he stated indifferently, "I didn't exactly handle things the best myself. But what we need to focus on right now is what to do about Yaksha. We're not going to solve this kingdom's problems with fighting."
Shingen nodded and crossed his arms. "Well if we intend to solve this peacefully, then giving control of Yaksha to any of the 16 remaining warlords is out of the question. It can only lead to further territory disputes, and Ransei would return to war in no time. Masamune alone would see to that." he stated.
"That's the case, unfortunately." Ujiyasu agreed. He exhaled a long sigh of frustration. "Of course, we wouldn't have to worry about this in the first place if I had been able to keep Nobunaga out of Yaksha. Had I held out long enough for you three to come in and claim it, that idiot Kotaro never would have been in the position to destroy everything."
"But it wasn't your choice to return Yaksha to him after we achieved unification." Ryo reminded him, "That was on me, entrusting the well-being of an entire kingdom to a practical stranger."
"Originally, I thought it was the right choice, too." Ujiyasu admitted, "Kotaro does have a history with Yaksha beyond being its warlord. This is his home; he was born and raised here. The Pokemon of this kingdom were loyal to him. Before I met the two of you, I'd never seen anyone with a stronger bond to Pokemon. It wasn't entirely the wrong choice to entrust Yaksha to him. If I'd been keeping better track of him, maybe things would have been different."
Ryo furrowed his brow. "If all that's true, then why would he abandon this kingdom and allow the Pokemon here to suffer?" he sighed in frustration.
"What Kotaro desires is the chaos of war." Kenshin explained, "This chaos cannot be with the 17 kingdoms united. Yaksha is a small kingdom, and he doesn't have the numbers to instigate war with the rest of Ransei. He would be overpowered, and his rebellion would be easily dispelled. Were he to send assassins after the other warlords while holding Yaksha's throne, his assassins could be easily traced back to him and make him an easy target. However, by abandoning the kingdom and offering it up as free territory, he can instigate fighting amongst the other kingdoms and return Ransei to the chaos he seeks."
"I'm sure that this is only the beginning of his plans." Shingen added, "If he's in hiding, it won't be a problem to send his followers after the rest of us."
"T-to kill us, you mean?" Oichi asked with a shudder.
"Or to incite some to return to war." the masked warlord mused, "I'm sure Kotaro understands that many of the warlords still crave greater power than what they can attain under the peace treaty."
"That's not true." Ryoko protested, "The time for fighting has come to an end. We're all here because we want to work towards lasting peace across the land, for people and Pokemon alike. We're still learning how to work with each other, and this won't be the last time we'll clash, but no one wants to return to war."
Shingen sighed. "It's truly wonderful that you seek the best in everyone, Lady Ryoko. But to believe that decades of conflict can be resolved so easily is short-sighted. The time for peace is indeed upon us, but we still have a long journey before we can see it bloom. Do you two remember who took their seats across from you just now in the conference room?"
Ryo lowered his head in thought as he remembered the anarchy from before. He specifically remembered that Masamune had sat directly across from him, eyes intense as though ready for a battle.
"Masamune." he answered.
"Lord Mitsuhide and Lord Ieyasu as well." Ryoko recalled.
"That is hardly coincidence." Kenshin replied, "They will be your greatest obstacles to the peace you seek."
"What?" Ryoko queried, "Masamune maybe, but Lord Ieyasu and Lord Mitsuhide have been giving Aurora incredible support for the last few months. They want this alliance to succeed more than anyone."
"They support you now." Ujiyasu emphasized, "Mitsuhide has a history of indecisiveness and bad judgment. Before you two broke through middle Ransei, he'd staged a rebellion against Nobunaga. This happened only a few months after he had allied with him. If he had followed through with it, I don't doubt he would have overcome him, either. But he gave up his resistance and returned to his master. Right as he had him cornered, no less. What's to stop him from doing the same again? All it would take is for him to doubt this peace long enough to do serious damage."
"Then there's Ieyasu." Shingen carried on, "He's an honorable man, and a respectable warlord. I won't deny him that. But he is not without his weaknesses, and he has a history of bad judgments of his own. He's at his worst under pressure, and it's cost many warriors and Pokemon their lives. He cannot be moved as easily as Mitsuhide, but he moves others to walk towards disaster without even realizing it. If either of them are given the chance to let doubt enter their minds, they will convince themselves to take matters into their own hands for the sake of peace. Honestly, it would be fortunate if Masamune was the extent of our worries. He makes no attempt to hide his ambitions to rule the land, and he charges towards this dream with reckless abandon. It's important that you're aware of Ieyasu and Mitsuhide's weaknesses, because if you aren't, you won't see the signs until it's too late."
"We have all been aware of Masamune's ambition since well before Unification." Kenshin remarked, "But this is the first conference that he's made his intentions known without fear. I suspect that he was hoping for more support from the rest of us against Lord Ryo and Lady Ryoko."
"That wouldn't surprise me." Ryo sneered, "I don't get him. Does he think that plunging Ransei back into war is the way to achieve peace?"
"At some point, that boy got it in his head that he was meant to be the one to unite the 17 kingdoms under his banner." Ujiyasu said, "Unlike the sane warriors in Ransei, however, he still believes that it's his destiny. Ergo, there is no real peace unless it's Masamune's peace, and Masamune's Ransei."
"If Masamune is given the chance to claim Yaksha for himself, it may cause the ambitions of the other warlords to be rekindled." Kenshin declared, "I'm certain they will fight back if the opportunity presents itself. Some to defend themselves, others to expand their own territories."
Ryo groaned. "So really, we're no closer to peace than we were before." he lamented, shoulders slumping in defeat. "How are we meant to help this kingdom if we can't get the others on the same page?"
"I still believe that Mitsuhide and Ieyasu will stand by us, even in tough times." Ryoko said with confidence, "No one wants this peace to maintain itself more than them. But Masamune needs to understand that we all have to come together in order for Ransei to be truly united. I'm worried about him." she bowed her head, looking solemnly to her Espeon. "Not only could his blind ambitions hurt others, but he could also hurt himself, too."
"Why does it matter if he hurts himself?" Ryo scoffed.
His sister glanced at him with somber eyes. "We all have each other to look out for one another. Masamune has Braviary, but I'm not sure he has anyone else. He's always so willing to push people away from him." Ryo's stance softened at that. Leave it to his sister to make him feel sorry for a jerk like Masamune. Oichi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll get through this, for sure, Lord Ryo. All of us. Everyone is sure to find a way to come together for the sake of peace. Even Lord Masamune will surely come around."
"Let's hope so." Shingen agreed, "You three have certainly proven that you have the power to bring people and Pokemon together. It's important for you to be aware of the challenges you have to face, but really, I see no need to worry about gaining the support of the warlords. You've already done so, after all."
"Thanks." Ryoko nodded. "What's important is that we take this one step at a time. Our focus right now needs to be on finding a new warlord for Yaksha. A completely fresh face with no previous relationship to the other warlords."
"I think at this point we all agree that would be for the best." her brother said, seeing the nods of approval from everyone else in their circle. "My only concern with that is time. This kingdom's already been struggling for months now, and every day that goes by, things are only going to get worse. Who knows how long it will take to find one person out of an entire kingdom who's worthy of being its leader."
Lady Aya had been staying out of the conversation thus far, more interested with the view outside the window. Especially once a floating, violet figure made itself known. Its sudden presence before her caused the Uesugi lady to give the slightest twitch, but her eyes narrowed upon realizing just who's Mismagius was looking back at her. She glanced over her shoulder, searching out Spectra's vile warlord. She expected to catch a glimpse of her in a dark corner, glaring at her with a smug smirk, no doubt reveling in her feeble attempt at spooking her adversary. Yet Nō couldn't be found anywhere she looked. She turned back to her unwanted guest, the frown on her face letting it be known that its presence wasn't welcome. She sensed Froslass was doing much the same. Mismagius's response to this, in classic ghost Pokemon fashion, was to stretch and exaggerate her face, eyes bulging and tongue sticking out at her observers. Froslass flinched back, indignant to the taunt her fellow ghost-type was throwing her. She might have responded with an attack, but Aya motioned for her to be still. She wasn't sure what to make of this display. Face-making wasn't exactly in Nō's box of tricks, far beneath her brand of devious and cruel schemes. Yet Mismagius continued the juvenile display, changing between one exaggerated expression to the next.
This went on for about a minute until the purple ghost put on a different sort of face; somewhat mischievous, but lacking a certain deviousness customary of ghost-types. It was… knowing, and expecting. In that moment, she was wordlessly trying to convey something to Aya, beyond a petty joke for her warlord's amusement. Mismagius floated down, going beyond what the lady could see from her spot at the window. But as the ghost did, something else caught her attention, or rather someone. A clearly female figure, tall and dressed in black. But most notable was her hair, dark brown, with black stripes. Or possibly black hair with dark brown stripes? Her back was turned, so that was all Aya could see. The woman appeared from the bushes outside. She looked around nervously, revealing her face to be covered by a black mask. When her search revealed no one outside, she ran quickly for the trees, where she became lost in the shadows. Aya felt a smile come on at the scene. To think she might have been missed if Mismagius hadn't held her interest…
"Hideyoshi had the right idea." she heard Ujiyasu saying as she focused back on the conversation, "We should be looking for someone with a connection to Yaksha. A born and raised local. Someone loyal to their kingdom, and proud of it."
"A warrior with a dark-type Pokemon would be an added bonus." Ryoko mentioned. "And a ninja, like Lady Nene said."
Ryo shook his head, "The more requirements we add on, the harder it's gonna be to find someone that fits the mold." he reminded them.
"Yeah, but it can't be just anyone, either." his sister determined, "Otherwise, we risk putting another Kotaro in power. At the very least, we should be searching for someone Yaksha-born who can connect with the dark-type Pokemon of this kingdom."
"I think that's a safe bet." her brother nodded. "Right now, Yaksha needs a leader with strong solidarity to it. Hopefully, everyone else will be as reasonable as the four of you have been, and give us some other good ideas on where to go from here."
"Speaking of where to go, you three were planning on exploring the city, yes?" Aya spoke up suddenly. The three teens were a bit startled to hear her after all this time. Ryo in particular had found it odd that she hadn't found a need to give her input on the matter. He knew that she must have some opinion, and it was strange that she wasn't saying anything about it. Now when she finally does talk, it's to tell them to go into the city?
"O-of course. Once we had spoken to the other warlords." he answered.
"Good." she replied, giving an approving nod. She returned to looking out the window. "Just as Lord Motonari said, the energy in Yaksha city is much different from the rest of the kingdom. It will certainly be prudent to our search to find out what is so unique here."
Ryo nodded. "Let's hope so."
Ryoko stepped in. "Well, the sooner we track down the other warlords and talk to them, the faster we'll be able to get into Yaksha City and suss things out." she mentioned. "Thanks for your help, guys."
"Certainly, Ryoko." Aya chuckled. "The four of us were planning on heading out ourselves for a drink. We'll inform you of anything interesting we discover." Ujiyasu, Kenshin and Shingen looked between themselves. They had made no such plans as of yet.
"That's much appreciated." Ryoko smiled back.
"We'll leave you to it, then." Ryo said, giving a final wave to the group of veterans before turning. "Have a good time."
"The same to you." Aya replied, "And good luck." Once the teens had left, the remaining warlords took their leave to the residential wing of the castle.
"A bit early for a drink, isn't it?" Ujiyasu commented, perplexed by the woman's desire to suddenly go into the crowded city. While Aya carried herself well in social situations, she didn't particularly enjoy being around people. The average person wouldn't think this to be the case, but he'd been fortunate (and unfortunate, in some instances) to have a longstanding history with the Uesugi siblings.
"By whose standards?" Shingen asked, laughing at the notion.
"I suggest we leave the Pokemon here and find some more casual apparel." Aya suggested, "You three are famous, after all. We wouldn't want to attract so much attention to ourselves."
They broke apart, each going to their own rooms to prepare their own things. As Aya was about to enter her quarters, she noticed Lady Nō coming down the hallway at a brisk pace, looking everywhere and showing no interest whatsoever in the other woman. Understanding the implications immediately, the elder woman grinned.
As Nō passed her, she spoke, "I saw Mismagius flitting about outside the castle. You might want to check near the front gates, dear."
The violet-haired beauty did a double take, noticing Aya for the first time. Processing her words, she sneered. "How is it that you know of my partner's whereabouts before me?" she queried with subtle poison in her voice.
Aya smiled. "A question I intend to answer for myself." she stated, entering her room and shutting the door.
But Nō wouldn't tolerate her cryptic deflections. Over the span of half an hour, Mismagius had wandered away from her twice, and had no interest in telling her what she was up to. It was one thing for her to do this in Spectra, but in a foreign kingdom away from home, it was harder for them to keep tabs on one another. Now, of course Mismagius was fine. Even without the benefit of their link, Nō was able to say this with confidence. The uncertainly of her partner's actions, however, was inherent of a lack of control, and that would not serve. There wasn't a thing in this world that Lady Nō didn't control.
She reached for the door, about to throw it open when a blast of frigid cold emanated from the other side. If that witch… Attempting to pry the door open revealed it to have been frozen shut. Aya had no interest in speaking to her any further. Her desire to control ran just as deep.
A low growl passed by her lips. Though she hated to give up the battle, especially before it even began, finding her partner took priority. Of all the vices she could brand Lady Aya with, the woman wasn't a liar. In that case, Mismagius was outside. Hopefully that silly ghost had decided to lurk under some shady tree, conserving her energy in the bright light of the afternoon. She was tempted to give Aya's door a swift kick before she made her way outside, but refrained. Don't give the woman the satisfaction of knowing your anger. You are always in control.
So she left peacefully, striding with purpose towards the front gates of the castle.
– – –
Shortly after, the four warlords of central Ransei had left the castle and were walking through the crowded city. Aya had certainly made the right call; in their simple yukatas, they were practically invisible to the crowds that had previously gathered just to see Kenshin and Shingen in person.
"You wouldn't think there would be so much color in the dark kingdom." Aya mused as they took in everything. The large buildings decorated with intricate graffiti art, the merchants selling all varieties of goods, the musicians that seemed to be on every corner, and the street battles that were being fought by warriors and their Pokemon, particularly ninjas. That was an equally fascinating sight, all the ninjas that were out in broad daylight. With their ghost and dark-type Pokemon, no less.
"From the looks of things, the city's having a festival." Shingen observed, "That raises the question of who planned it. To coordinate hundreds of people for an event like this is a massive undertaking, even for a warlord and their officers. And so many different people as well. Warriors, merchants, musicians, Pokemon; all have to be taken into consideration."
As they continued walking through the masses of people, they caught fragments of conversations.
Two young ladies passed by, talking about some stage show. "Can't wait for Tsukikage to perform tonight!" one said, "You know she's got something special planned for Total Eclipse."
"Oh, totally!" her companion agreed, "So jealous of Miyato and Hirotami; they actually get to be on stage with her!"
"How in the world did they get so lucky?!"
"It probably helps that they know how to play an instrument." the other responded with a wry smirk. The talk of an evening performance was hardly of any interest to the veteran warlords, and the conversation was quickly blotted out.
A group of several warriors passed with their Pokemon. Their conversation proved more interesting to the four. "…he's been knocking back warriors left and right since this morning. The out-of-towners don't know what hit 'em."
"You gotta be stupid to think you can beat Keitatsuo." a ninja with a Pawniard laughed, "He's the toughest warrior in the city!"
"Well, that doesn't keep Rin from trying." someone interjected, "I heard she gave him a run for his money a little while ago."
"Dragon girl? Hah! After her, that guy with the Machamp must've been a boring fight!"
Kenshin raised a brow to this passing information. "The toughest warrior in the city?" he pondered, "Perhaps we should see for ourselves."
"The ability to lead isn't weighed by one's strength." Ujiyasu dismissed.
"Of course not." Shingen agreed, "But to be acknowledged as the strongest in the entire city is something that was surely earned in some way. It's a good place to start. This Keitatsuo would no doubt be acquainted with many other great warriors in the city."
Ujiyasu considered this. "True enough." he nodded, "Well, if this tough guy's been having battles all day, chances are he's fighting around here somewhere."
They heard another passing conversation. "So I heard from Yuuki that Tsukikage was going to be performing all week. Maybe we'll actually get a chance to meet her in person!"
"Don't get your hopes up." his friend told him. "I've only ever seen Tsukikage when she's on stage singing for a crowd. I've never even talked to her, and I've played base for three of her concerts."
"Seriously?! She doesn't even show up to rehearse? How do you guys practice?"
Aya began to notice an interesting pattern after a while. "Have you noticed that we seem to be out of place?" the Illusio lady wondered, looking around. The others did the same, and noticed what she was getting at. The majority of the people walking around right now were teenagers and young adults no older than their mid-twenties. There were some older people out as well, but there was a very clear youth culture taking place here.
One young man who passed by then met eyes with Aya. He winked, and gave a flirty smile. "Hey, beautiful." he said, before carrying on his way. Kenshin scowled, and Ujiyasu shared a laugh with Aya.
"Doesn't look like you stand out so much." Cragspur's warlord remarked. When this statement wasn't met with a witty rebuttal, he turned and noticed their female companion making her way towards one of the stands. "Oh, what's she up to now?" He muttered, prompting Kenshin and Shingen to stop and look as well.
"Should we be worried?" Shingen questioned.
"Depends. Do you mean for her or for us?" Ujiyasu replied.
"I'm more concerned for us at the moment." the masked warlord confessed. Kenshin nodded in agreement.
While they waited for her to return, a battle taking place nearby caught their attention. They were lucky enough to find themselves at a good vantage point to watch. The battle had a Beartic facing off against a Zweilous. The Beartic's warrior commanded an icicle crash attack from it. The frigid attack struck the twin-headed Zweilous head-on, a deadly move for a dragon-type Pokemon to endure. Yet the observing crowd gasped in amazement as the dark dragon shook it off as if it was nothing. The Beartic and its warrior were shocked as well, clearly unnerved by this show of might. Seeing their opportunity, the Zweilous and its warrior took to the offensive, and with a brutal strike of sword and crunch attack alike, their opponents were brought onto their backs in defeat.
"Impressive young warrior, that one." Shingen observed as the three warlords took note of the victor. He was a tall young man, looking to be in his late teens. He had spiked ash brown hair, and piercing gray eyes that brimmed with steely determination. He was dressed from head to toe in black, most prominently a hooded, tattered jacket which appeared to have had the sleeves ripped off of it. The armor he wore was studded with spikes, as well as his leather boots. Hanging over his chest was a medallion with the insignia of Ransei, a symbol that was customary for warriors to wear. On his back were sheathed twin katana, perhaps an homage to the Pokemon that was his partner. His lips were coiled in a triumphant smirk over his latest victory. There was no doubt to be had that he was a Yaksha native.
The roar of the crowd erupted as the battle came to an end. Some voices could be heard over the applause.
"That was incredible! That Zweilous destroyed Beartic, even at a massive type disadvantage!" One little kid shouted to his friends.
"Oh, come on! Does this guy ever lose?!" one man shouted. It seemed that he had just lost money on whatever bet he had made with the two men gloating next to him.
A ninja standing close by the disguised warlords called out to the winner, "Hey, Keitatsuo! How many victories does this make today?!" The three exchanged glances amongst themselves. So, this was the so-called strongest warrior in Yaksha City. The mighty Keitatsuo.
Keitatsuo glanced his way. "This guy makes 11!" he yelled back in a deep baritone. "Zweilous and I are aiming for 20 by the end of the day!" Zweilous growled in agreement at this statement, the left head snapping its jaws in anticipation of its next opponent. "So how 'bout it, Sanichi? You and Scraggy feel like being number 12?"
"Hah! Man, you've kicked my ass so many times, I can't sit right!" the ninja chortled, "We'll pass, thanks. We've got to be in top shape for Tsukikage's concert tonight. My lady needs me, you know."
Keitatsuo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Run away; go get ready for your little dance routine." he mocked, waving his companion away. He returned his attention to the rest of the crowd. "Alright, anyone else want to challenge the strongest duo in Yaksha?" he asked, scanning the crowd. A few warriors began to challenge the young man, shouting over each other for his attention. He looked over each of them with mild boredom, before his eyes locked onto the trio of warlords. His gaze stuck on them for a moment, and the three returned the challenge with passive confidence. Between the three of them, Keitatsuo couldn't decide which he was more interested in.
"How 'bout you three?" he gestured to the group. Several warriors in the crowd voiced their disappointment at not being selected to battle the powerful young warrior. "You guys look like you'd be a challenge for us." His eyes happened to meet with Kensin's at that moment, and they held his attention. The eyes of Illusio's warlord burned with the desire for battle, eager to test the might of the boy for himself. A truly worthy opponent was not something the God of War found often beyond his nemesis. He could sense that the will to fight was strong in this young warrior, and that he could sense the same in Kenshin. He took a step close, ready to fight, Pokemon or no.
Shingen stepped in his path, grinning at the boy. "Ah, I'm afraid you have us mistaken, young man." he chuckled, "We're not warriors; just tourists who came for the festival."
Keitatsuo wasn't moved. "Don't try to bullshit me, old man." he replied, "I know you're warriors, and damn powerful ones at that. The only warriors I'm interested in fighting. So where are your Pokemon?"
"Not with us at the moment." Ujiyasu spoke up, glaring down at the kid. Keitatsuo faced him then, studying the no-nonsense glower Cragspur's warlord was hitting him with.
"What kind of warriors travel without their Pokemon?" he spat.
Ujiyasu didn't miss a beat. "The ones that don't want to humiliate brats like you by beating them into the ground."
The onlookers closest to them went quiet, some of the younger observers letting out a low murmur of "Ooooh's." Keitatsuo, however, didn't seem phased by the response. He and Ujiyasu stared each other down for a moment, neither one flinching from their place. When this exchange ended, Keitatsuo chuckled and gave a nonchalant shrug.
"Ah, well." he said, "No point having a battle if Zweilous'd have to sit out, I suppose. If you geezers change your mind, I'll be around. I'll be expecting a battle if I bump into you again, though. Make sure you have your Pokemon with you by then." He then pointed randomly into the crowd. "Hot girl with the Fraxure, you're up!"
With an excited "YES!", one girl with pigtails pushed through the crowd into the battle circle, her dragon Pokemon right behind her and looking just as energized.
"I hope you two are as tough as you look." the trio of warlords heard Keitatsuo say as they began to walk away from the fight.
"You bet we are!" the female warrior responded, "And we're gonna be the ones to end your winning streak!"
"Looks like the city's strongest warrior's just another kid with a swollen head." Ujiyasu remarked as they made their way back to Aya. "Are you two as sick of running into those fools as I am?" A lack of response from his companions prompted him to turn and see the two silent and in thought.
"I wouldn't be so dismissive." Kenshin spoke. He heard the uproarious crowd behind him as Keitatsuo and Zweilous took the brunt of a dragon claw, brushing the damage aside to overpower their opponent and go on the offensive, same as they had done in the previous fight. "There is much raw ability in that young warrior, and a desire to prove himself."
"We should know the dangers of such ambition by now." Cragspur's warlord corrected him. "The last thing Yaksha needs is to have some reckless, battle-hungry fool in power."
Shingen shook his head. "The boy certainly talks big, but look beyond that for a moment. The bond he and his Pokemon share is unmistakeable. If that Zweilous trusts him enough to take the full force of an attack without question, and the strength to resist damage as it did, it's the sign of a great warrior."
"And he was able to recognize us as strong warriors without realizing our identities." Kenshin added, "A sign of sharp instincts."
"But as a warlord." Ujiyasu reminded them, "Do you honestly think a kid like that can be trusted with an entire kingdom?"
"Perhaps not as a warlord, but he would certainly be an asset to Yaksha with his strength." Kenshin stopped upon seeing a smiling Aya approaching them. One hand held a paper bag, while the other was searching around inside it for something. He smiled. "What he needs is a purpose that he can devote himself and his strength to."
Ujiyasu noticed her, and couldn't help a grin of his own. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to wander off, young lady?" he chided playfully. The smirk left him as Aya placed a mask over his eyes, covering up the top half of his face.
"Seeing as we're in the city of ninjas while a festival is taking place, I thought it would be appropriate for us to wear masks." she explained, moving on to give one to her brother and Shingen as well. Cragspur's warlord grunted his disapproval, before removing the obstruction from his face. Turning the mask over in his hands revealed…
"A Magikarp?!" he exclaimed, noting the headgear's resemblance to a certain pathetic red fish. He looked up to find Kenshin wearing a mask fashioned to look like the legendary Pokemon Lugia, while Shingen was quickly swapping out his own mask for one that took inspiration from Entei. Of course she would. Kenshin only allowed himself a small smirk, but Shingen didn't hold back any laughter at their fellow warlord's expense.
"Alright, Aya, that's taking it a bit too far!" he told her, but continued to laugh regardless. Aya glanced over at Ujiyasu as she finished adjusting her own Mawile-inspired mask on her face.
"Whoops. Seems I bought one too many." Aya chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at the mask she'd given him. She brought out one final mask from the bag, holding it in front of him. "This one, I got for you, Ujiyasu."
"You think you're real cute, don't you?!" Ujiyasu fumed as he took the real mask she had bought for him, placing it on without hesitation. Terrakion. Now that, he could live with. They continued on their way, walking through the large throngs of people and observing the sights. After a while of strolling around the city, they noticed something peculiar. Every street band that they passed played the exact same songs, perfectly timed with one another. When one song ended, the bands all began the next one in perfect sync. It was almost as if the entire city was singing.
"Coordinating all of these musicians to perform in such precise harmony must have taken quite the strategic mind." Aya mused, impressed by the talent around them.
"Hey, isn't that Teiko Risaa?" Ujiyasu asked, pointing over to a blue-haired young woman being followed by a large mob of people, mostly younger girls.
"Who?" Kenshin asked.
"She's a famous singer from Cragspur." Ujiyasu replied, watching as she signed autographs while she walked. "Some of her most popular songs are 'Shooting Star,' 'Grayscale,' 'Eternal Slumber,' and 'Ghost of a Rapidash.'
Aya grinned. "I wouldn't have thought you to be a fan of such new age music, Ujiyasu." she chuckled.
Ujiyasu rolled his eyes. "I'm not. Kai happens to love her. She sings her damn songs all the time. I know every song that woman's ever written, and I don't even like her music."
"And would you look over there! It's Roruta Watosu!" Shingen excitedly pointed out, drawing their attention to an attractive blonde woman carrying a shamisen with her. She had an equally large following of people around her while she walked by.
"Is it?" Aya asked, "My, what would draw such a talented singer to come to Yaksha at a time like this?"
"So who is she?" Kenshin and Ujiyasu chorused.
Shingen was the one to answer this time, "She happens to be the biggest star in Terrera right now. She's performed at the castle several times for various events."
"So I take it Kunoichi is a big fan of hers?" Ujiyasu guessed.
"I'm sure she is," Shingen replied, "But I happen to have all of her albums. She's the best singer I've heard since Nyashi Inukuwa."
"No one can compare to Nyashi." Ujiyasu protested, "Seriously, Shingen? You can't really be into that girly drivel."
"Do not refer to Roru-chan's music as 'drivel.'" Shingen snapped, "She is the voice of a generation."
"Roru-chan?" Ujiyasu repeated, nose scrunching in disgust. "Ugh, if anyone asks, I don't know you."
Shingen threw the disgruntled rock warlord a smirk, "Now, Ujiyasu, you don't need to be a hater."
Aya laughed, "Well, it's just as Roruta says: 'I got too much on my plate to be dealing with your hate.'"
"And the ones that got the time to hate don't got the time to be great!" Shingen continued with a smile.
"Oh, for all that's good in this world, shut up!" Ujiyasu pleaded.
"So do both of us a favor, favor, favor, and stop being such a hater-ha-ha-hater." Aya continued unperturbed.
"Ok, I'm done." Ujiyasu proclaimed, walking away from the two badly singing warlords.
"Where are you going?" Shingen asked, still laughing.
"We came out here to get a drink, and if I'm gonna be able to deal with you three, I'm gonna need a drink." he explained, looking around for the nearest bar.
Shingen chuckled, turning to Aya. "Just like old times." he remarked.
"It's been ages since we've been able to annoy him like this." she agreed. "Well, I could use a drink myself. What about you, brother?" Turning around revealed that Kenshin was nowhere to be seen.
"I wager he's had enough of us as well!" Shingen chortled, pointing over to Ujiyasu. Aya could see her brother walking side by side with him.
"He surely must have if Ujiyasu is the more tolerable one to be around." she observed through a fit of giggles. "But he's not getting away from me that easily." The two began to walk a bit faster to catch up with their companions, just as they had made their way to one building and were about to enter. Walking around Roruta's exuberant fans, they caught several shouts from the crowd.
"Roru-chan! Is it true that you're the opening act for Tsukikage tonight?!"
"You two should totally do a duet together! I'd love to hear her singing one of you songs with you!"
"I'm not opening tonight, unfortunately." she answered, "But I'd totally sing with her if she was cool with it. I wouldn't have even known about the Total Eclipse Festival if she hadn't told me."
"Oh my gosh!"
"That would be sooooo cool!"
Tsukikage's the best!" the fans continued to cheer as they passed by.
"Tsukikage." Aya repeated, "I've been hearing that name all day."
"Must be a famous local singer." Shingen dismissed with a shrug.
"So I gathered. All this fuss for a singer, though." she mused, "She must be talented." The girl in question was quickly forgotten about as they caught up with Kenshin and Ujiyasu. Dragon's Den was written on the outside of the establishment they had stopped at. The walls of the building had been covered by several illustrations of Charizards, and a few Hydreigon battling it out with them. The two Pokemon seemed to have been drawn by different artists. Three different comments had been graffitied onto the wall over the paintings. One crudely wrote in bright purple kanji: Stop painting over my work, Keitatsuo! The three male warlords exchanged a glance at the name. Underneath it was written in a different hand and deep red ink: Real dragons, represent! The paw print of a Zweilous was next to this message. These two messages had been circled in black, and a line going off of this circle directed the observer's gaze to the final message, written in an elegant script: Bad dragons! No fighting! Lounging just next to the entrance was a Charmeleon. Maybe it was the mascot for the restaurant? The lizard Pokemon noticed the group staring at it. Oddly enough, it responded positively to this attention by sticking its tongue out and wagging its fiery tail.
"I hope we're not in the wrong neighborhood." Ujiyasu remarked as they walked inside. Despite all the… aggressive graffiti on the outside, the inside of the bar was rather mundane. Tables and chairs set up as you'd expect, some simple niceties and decoration, a few people sitting down and talking, a small stage area set up for musicians to play, and of course the actual bar. Working behind the bar were two women. The oldest appeared to be in her forties, and had dark hair and brown eyes, dressed in a plain yukata, and was busying herself washing glasses. The younger girl was something else entirely. The left half of her head had been completely shaved, while the right sported short black hair that fell over her blue eyes. Her tall and lanky frame was dressed in a wild amalgamation of colors and patterns, that somehow all came together harmoniously. While she wore no jewelry to speak of, a bowtie was wrapped around her neck. She decorated her face with an upbeat smile as she went around preparing drinks.
The older woman noticed the group, and flashed a smile their way. "Good afternoon; welcome to the Dragon's Den!" she said, "Come on in and have a seat wherever you like." They chose to take their seats at the mostly empty bar. There was only one other person present, seated a little bit away from them. A short female, dressed in traditional ninja apparel, with some noteworthy alterations. While she wore the dark robes, the dominant color across her armor was bright, fiery orange. Judging by the Charizard mask worn over her face, and the clawed boots on her feet, the intention was to emulate the dragon Pokemon's appearance. She even had a "tail" in the form of a yellow and orange sash wrapped around her waist. That Charmeleon outside most likely was her partner. Penetrating blue eyes glared out from beyond the mask, and her wavy hair ranged from a bright orange on her right, and split to be an elegant violet on her left. She was chatting with the young woman behind the bar.
"…I parried both his swords, and managed a kick to his side. As hard as I could, mind you." they overheard the husky voice of the ninja as she retold her battle to the young waitress. "You know what happens next? He gives me that Arceus-forsaken, smug-ass smirk of his, as if to say he let me kick him, gets out of the hold I had him in, and pins me to the ground. I see Charmeleon go flying, both his swords appear at my throat, and Gozuo calls the battle. I had him, Yuuki! I had him! And last time, and the time before that, and the time before that!"
"Sure ya did, Rin!" a ninja called across the room. She turned on him and his chuckling friend with fire in her eyes.
"You want a claw to the face, loser?!" she shouted, raising a spiked glove to her hecklers.
"Do you want to be banned from the bar again, Rin?" the older woman at the bar asked with a scowl. The masked girl changed her tone quickly, sitting down with a pout.
"Don't take it so hard." Yuuki reassured her, passing her another drink. "You're one of the best fighters around here."
"I am the best!" Rin shot back. "The best dragon warrior in Ransei. I have actual dragon blood running through my veins, Yuuki! I shouldn't be losing to someone like Keitatsuo."
"Uh-huh. Well, I got a job to do, so you'll have to drown your sorrows alone for a while." Yuuki excused herself from their conversation and went over to the masked warlords.
"Good afternoon, folks. Those are some sweet masks." she greeted.
"Thank you, young lady." Aya replied.
"I saw those over by Sugori's place on my way over here. I gotta pick up one for myself later. That Yamamuchi, he does some incredible work."
"Yuuki, I don't mind you talking with the customers, but you better be working while you do it." The older woman said over her shoulder.
"Yes, Miss Satorei!" Yuuki agreed quickly, "So what can I getcha?"
"A round of sakes for all of us, miss." Shingen answered.
"Coming right up, sir!" she agreed, "And just Yuuki will do." She walked over to a shelf where an assortment of wine bottles were kept.
"Ah, shoot." she muttered, walking over to a door leading to the back. "Hey, Daishu!" she called, "We're out of sake up front! Could you bring a bottle out with those two meals?!"
"What?!" returned a male voice, "Argh, I gotta do everything around here, don't I?!" There was obvious sarcasm in this exclamation.
"Yeah, I know!" Yuuki responded with equal sarcasm as an older, balding man came out carrying two steaming plates of food, and a full bottle of sake. Yuuki quickly took the bottle from him. "I mean, what are you, the owner or something?" The two shared a laugh as Daishu set the plates down at a table where two ninjas were sitting.
"Here ya go, boys." he said quickly, "Enjoy."
"Thanks, Daishu! Looks great as always!" one of them said before digging in with his friend.
"So, would I be safe in assuming that you're all here for the festival?" Satorei asked as Yuuki handed her the sake and she started pouring some for their newest customers.
Aya was the one to respond, "Actually, we were just passing through. We arrived in the city this morning, and were completely taken by surprise by all this."
"You don't say." Satorei replied as Yuuki began to hand the group their drinks. "You know, I was expecting more answers like that, but you're the first ones I've talked to today that didn't come to attend the festivities. Seems like all of Ransei knew about our little celebration."
Yuuki grinned, "I told you the Total Eclipse Festival was gonna be a big deal." she chimed in.
Satorei chuckled. "Well, I'm okay with being proven wrong." she admitted, "It's given us more business than we've had in a long time, so I'm not complaining. Besides, you kids deserve the success after all the hard work you put into making this happen."
"Well, you'll have to forgive our ignorance on the matter." Aya stated, "Though it was a pleasant surprise to happen upon. We'd heard that Yaksha was in a bind after Lord Kotaro disappeared."
"Well, things are certainly far from good." Satorei confessed, "Everyone's struggling in their own way, especially the farther you get from Yaksha City. We had to cut our visit with my husband's sister short when we went to see her in the next town over. Things have gotten so bad there… I'd rather not go into detail. If you were traveling by foot on your way here, I'm sure you saw for yourself."
"I sure did." Ujiyasu said, taking a long drink from his glass.
"But with everything Yaksha's going through right now, is this really an appropriate time to be having a celebration on this level?" Shingen asked.
"I certainly wouldn't have thought so." the woman agreed, "Who has time to plan a festival when everyone's struggling to get by day to day? But when Tsukikage suggested it, the young people in the city rallied around the idea, and everyone stepped up to make it happen."
"Tsukikage?" Aya questioned, sharing glances with the others. There was that name again. The same one they had been hearing all over the city today.
"A local singer and artist." their host explained, "She started performing about two years ago, and has become something of a local icon."
"She's awesome." Yuuki chimed in.
"Yeah, she is!" one of the ninjas sitting in the corner shouted, his companion accenting this statement with a, "Tsukikage is life!" The Zubat and Sandile with them seemed to mirror these sentiments.
"So the entire city put this together just because an artist suggested they should?" Shingen asked, "Why put so much effort into such a whim? Is she a warrior?"
Satorei paused for a moment, "Well, I don't believe so. The wild Pokemon love her music, but I've never actually seen her with a particular Pokemon. Yuuki, you've sung with her before, right? Do you know if she's a warrior?"
Yuuki shook her head, "No, she's just really awesome." she said with a grin. "You know, like me." A roar of laughter came from the back following this proclamation. Yuuki turned to glower in the direction of the uproar, unamused. "Yes, Daishu, I am awesome, thank you very much!" she assured, despite the soft chuckles of the bar patrons joining in Daishu's amusement. She shook her head, and carried on despite all the sass coming her way.
"But Tsukikage doesn't need to be a warrior to be awesome. She is a master of showmanship." she explained, her voice taking on a spooky, mysterious tone, "You'll know of her arrival by the howling of the Houndour, and the Murkrow flying over the city. She only comes around once every few weeks to do a single show. But after that, she'll disappear without a trace until her next performance. Her stage name is 'Tsukikage,' but no one knows her true identity. She always wears a mask, concealing her face. You'll only know it's her if you see her black striped hair."
Aya perked up at this tidbit of information. "Interesting." she said, her smile turning mysterious, something that wasn't lost on her companions.
"Now why does that sound so familiar?" Shingen mused, wondering where he had heard that before.
Ujiyasu scoffed. "Seriously? What is she, an entertainer or a ghost?"
Yuuki shrugged. "Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous just saying it, but trust me, her concerts are like, the greatest thing ever!" she assured the skeptic, "You can't leave Yaksha City until you've seen one for yourself. Everyone comes out to watch her perform. She usually only does one show every month or two, but I heard that she'll be making an appearance every single night this week for Total Eclipse. She's gonna be on stage with some of the hottest bands in Ransei!" Those present in the bar began to cheer and applaud at this. The ninja at the bar stayed silent, but grinned nonetheless.
"And hopefully, she'll decide to make an appearance at our restaurant." Satorei said, gesturing over to the stage in the back. "We got such a huge boost in business the last time she was here, we decided to use some of the money to put in a stage just for her whenever she decides to perform for us."
"Even with times as hard as they are, people will still come and pay to hear this lady sing?" Ujiyasu asked.
"That's why she performs at businesses, after all. It helps keep the city going." Yuuki explained, "Since Lord Kotaro took off, she's been using her shows to keep local business flowing and everyone's spirits high. That's why she wanted this festival to happen so badly. Even with everything going wrong in the kingdom right now, people from all over Ransei have come to the city, and they've brought money to it, especially with all the famous names coming to support Yaksha in this crisis. Lately, her songs have been more about Yaksha, too."
"It sounds like she really loves this kingdom." Shingen offered.
"She absolutely does." Satorei agreed without hesitation, "And Yaksha City certainly loves her back. She's brought a lot of light to the city in these bleak times."
The talk of Tsukikage was brought to a halt as Rin's Charmeleon ran in with an excited cry. It raced past the disguised warlords (jumping onto the bar and knocking over their drinks in the process) and to its own warrior. Satorei raced over to her customers, swiftly apologizing as she rushed to clean up the mess and get them replacements on their drinks. Rin gasped, and her face lit up in a mischievous grin. Charmeleon slid into her arms and licked her face from chin to masked forehead.
"She's on her way?" she repeated with poorly-hidden enthusiasm.
"Char." her partner confirmed with a nod.
"Let's get going, buddy." she instructed, getting up from her seat.
Satorei shook her head. "You're paying for any damage done to my bar, young lady." she told the ninja as she jumped up to the ceiling of the room, disappearing into the shadows. Meanwhile, her Charmeleon raced away, jumping out a nearby window, much to the apparent surprise of the people outside.
"What's all this about now?" Shingen asked while Satorei poured them new drinks.
"Ah, sorry about all that." she said, "We get some very… strange customers around here. I'll certainly think very carefully about naming my restaurants in the future. No charge on these refills, by the way."
Yuuki laughed. "We're expecting a friend of ours to show up." she explained, "Rin wants to surprise her."
"Don't anybody give me away!" Rin's voice came from seemingly nowhere.
"Says the ninja shouting for everyone to hear." Yuuki muttered with a chuckle.
"…Shut up." Rin whispered back.
Satorei rolled her eyes. "Well, I suppose I should make Mitsubachi her usual. Arceus knows the poor girl's going to need it."
The name drop caught the attention of Ujiyasu. He had mostly been absorbed in his own thoughts thus far, but the girl's name sparked recognition. Mitsubachi. Not a common name, but it couldn't be the one he was thinking of. Yet curiosity got the better of him. "That wouldn't happen to be Mitsubachi Kurokami, by any chance?" All eyes turned to him as he asked this, and Satorei went especially quiet. The sudden shift in energy wasn't lost on any of the warlords.
"Oh… So you're familiar with the Kurokami house, sir?" The question was voiced with a poorly-hidden tone of discomfort, spoken with intentional quietness.
Ujiyasu was prepared to give an offhanded explanation of being acquainted to one of Lord Mako Kurokami's brothers. It wouldn't be a lie, anyway. He doubted he was right about this in the first place, so it hardly mattered. Though he wondered why he would ask in the first place. Yes, he knew the Kurokami house, but he wasn't exactly close to Lord Mako and his wife. He knew nothing about their eldest daughter beyond her name…
Dark brown eyes shining with moonlight…
The hazy image faded as someone entered the building, casting their shadow as the light from outside struck them. Recalling his vision from a moment ago, Ujiyasu shook his head. Where the hell had that come from? He knew he was getting old, but surely he wasn't going senile already. He decided to blame it on the alcohol, and glanced to the new arrival at the door. One quick look, and he was about to return to his drink. Well, guess it wasn't the Mitsubachi he thought of after all. But another thought entered his mind, and it caused him to do a double take.
Looking like that, this certainly wasn't Mako Kurokami's eldest daughter. But the person standing at the door did give him a strange wave of nostalgia. She reminded him of a young lady he'd had the privilege of knowing in his youth. Dark clothes, pale skin and all. He wagered that Aya was getting the same sense of déjà vu, feeling her suddenly freeze up from next to him.
Though from her standpoint, it was probably more like looking in a mirror.
Oh, where to start? Probably with the part that either made you laugh or cringe, depending what kind of person you are. At some point, I got it in my head that Shingen would be into whatever trendy pop music is popular with your stereotypical teenagers, and Kenshin and Ujiyasu would just hate him for it. You know, your Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift (spoilers: I have no idea what's popular right now). Actually, that song that I swear I put no effort into is meant to be a spoof of Shake It Off, if that wasn't obvious. And Aya just sort of keeps up with the times. It's also a good way for me to mention that I'll be incorporating different elements from different time periods into this story, combining feudal Japanese aesthetic with more "modern" technology. The best way to describe it is to compare it to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. There will be things like phonographs, retro microphones, music and fashion from several time periods and cultures, and so on. I hope that doesn't bother anyone, as its been my vision of Ransei for quite some time now. Oh yeah, and Shingen, Ujiyasu, Kenshin and Aya are wearing their yukatas from what I believe is the costume DLC for SW4 Empires. So you can look that up if you're curious. If not, I'll probably draw them walking around Yaksha City eventually. Sigh. Eventually...
Moving on to the newly introduced characters. Keitatsuo, Yuuki and (sort of) Rin are all inspired by three of my best real-life friends, and how they were inspired will become more apparent as the story progresses. Rin is slightly different, as she's not only inspired by my best friend and favorite non-blood sister, but she's also inspired by her original character (at least her humanoid form). I'll be posting character designs for them up on my DA page so you have a better idea of what they look like beyond my terrible descriptions, complete with their warrior stats and everything! Keep in mind that just because they were inspired by people I know, they're not 100% accurate representations. Because if they were, they would probably be very boring characters (no offense to my amazing, awesome friends!) Next chapter, we'll get a better look into their characters, and their relationship with a certain someone...
If I feel that I need to go back and fix anything, I'll be sure to do it. But I hope this was able to give someone a little bit of happiness when they read it. It helped make me feel better about something I'm dealing with while proofreading it. Probably because it reminded me of how much I love my friends. Have a great day, everyone! R&R at your leisure.