Hi, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait. I have rewritten this chapter about five different times, and not once was I satisfied with how it was coming out. I actually cut a large part of it out that will likely end up becoming it's own one-off fanfic. It was nothing important, just a flashback scene that I thought would be cool to show the parallels between the four warlords, and the four Yaksha teens. This chapter is all about showing how similar they are, after all. Not only was this bumming me out, but I've also been busy working on several serious projects for myself. A few original stories, and one other thing that I won't mention on here (because honestly, it's kind of lame :P).
Anyway, this is going to be a dialogue-heavy chapter, mainly characters talking to each other over some drinks. Last chapter was about introducing three of my original characters and establishing their personalities. This chapter is about establishing the relationship that they have with one another, as well as with my dear Mitsubachi. Far as I've seen, you all seem to like my characters. I'm glad. Like I said before, they were loosely inspired by three of my closest friends. :)
I hope that this chapter was well-worth the wait! See you at the end!
Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
Casting your shadow on the floor;
This feels like fate, it feels like a dream;
What a fa-mil-iar scene!
Those dark eyes really strike a chord;
You've got this look I can't ignore;
I've got a feeling where you've been;
What a fa-mil-iar scene!
Aya thought back to the conference earlier. The old legend of the warlords chosen by their kingdoms had been brought up. She recalled Lady Nō's response when Ryoko asked if they had been destined to lead their kingdoms. Destiny doesn't exist. Humans aren't created to walk a predetermined path. She had been tempted to speak up and correct her, but thought better of it; there had been enough tension in that room as it was. The latter half of that statement was true enough, but her agreement with Spectra's warlord diverged with the former. Life was not designed to be a single, straight road surrounded by an empty void. That was the power of the human spirit: The ability to create one's own path from nothing, the power of choice. This was not to say that things didn't have an order to them, a delicate yet infallible balance which protected against the anarchy that such power could bring with it. Humans made their choices, for better or worse, and the world adapted as needed. When things were out of place, they had a way of righting themselves, and it seemed that even the worst of tragedies held purpose to them. Aya herself had plenty of experience with this.
In Cragspur, determined this time to run away for good. Who finds her but her least favorite admirer. By the next morning, she's made the first real friend in her life, and he's convinced her to have courage and return home. It wasn't long after that Kenshin became warlord.
In Terrera, allowing her brother to drag their entire army down for a battle she could care less about, but at least he was happy. Shingen greets them not with swords and pokemon, but a winning smile, a bottle of fine imported wine, and a phonograph with a collection of bad music. She had almost chosen to grab Kenshin and leave, but decided to stay for what would become the best afternoon she'd had in years. They came for a battle, and left with a new-found friendship and two unlikely allies.
On a snowy mountain in Nixtorm, in a merciless blizzard. When given the choice between a frozen death and a dagger hidden beneath her robes, a third option toddled her way in the form of a little Snorunt. It takes her to shelter, where she found Kenshin and his Kirlia, come all that way to find her. She waits out the storm in a cave with the pokemon that would become her lifelong partner, and the brother whom she would devote her entire life to.
In Illusio, on a day like any other. Kenshin was off in Terrera, having yet another battle with his dear nemesis. She would of course always be there for her little brother, but he no longer needed a guardian. He had found his purpose, and she needed to find another for herself. She pondered on this as he came into her life, the dear boy that would become her protege.
Across a lifetime of hardships, whenever she found herself lost and in doubt, something had always been close by to clear the fog and point her ahead. Fate came in many forms, and she liked to think that it was her dear mother, still watching over her. Yet she never felt carried. The choice to follow these guides was always hers to make, and she had plenty of experience ignoring fate's call. Ironically, the lady of Spectra was a fine example of this. Aya had endeavored to see the purpose in their meeting, but there was only so much grief she could take. Whatever plan the forces that be may have had, she simply wasn't up for the challenge. She had chosen to carve her path as far away from that woman as possible.
Now again, she searched for the purpose. Over the years, she had learned the signs, and knew what to pay attention to. This time, fate had no intentions of being subtle. The old phonograph on the far side of the Dragon's Den, which she had previously ignored, caught her attention with a song that she hadn't heard in decades. A song that brought her back to an afternoon in Terrera, full of drinks and laughs and song, the first of many. It was a fond memory, but not one she had thought of in ages.
Then a young lady walks in, wearing all the charisma of your run-of-the-mill, angst-ridden teenager. Even in the heavy humidity of Yaksha's summer, she was bundled head to toe in loose-fitting, tattered black garments. A hooded jacket a size or two too big, with the left sleeve completely torn away. The exposed arm was still covered by a sleeve of fishnet. The intact right sleeve of the jacket went down to cover her entire arm to her fingertips. Her pants were in equally poor shape, a massive tear in the left completely exposing the knee and the barest hint of skintight shorts beneath. Her leather boots appeared designed for combat, with spikes protruding from them just above the toes. A leather satchel was carried over her shoulder, and she clutched the strap tightly with one of her gloved hands, clearly defensive of the contents within. Most of her face was shrouded in shadows by her hood, and whatever hair she had was completely pulled up and out of sight. The girl was… typical. Plain. Unimpressive. Certainly nothing Aya hadn't seen before.
It was the hood that caught her attention first, the thing that earned the young lady more than a passing glance. If she had to guess as to what the girl looked like beneath, she felt that she could answer with near certainty. After the hood, it was her body language. Based on her appearance, Aya would have initially guessed ninja, but when she really looked at her, it became clear this wasn't the case. The girl's height and posture revealed someone too clumsy and slow for the trade. Her body language showed that she had no confidence. She was hesitant and doubting and… and hating. Without words, her aura was asking, begging anyone who glanced her way to look past her, ignore her existence. The awkward shuffling of her feet, and the arms raised not only to clutch at her satchel, but also to shield her from sight. These actions told a story the Illusio lady was quite familiar with. The more she looked, the more that she was connecting with. There was a little bit of Kenshin there, she thought with fond nostalgia. More than that, she was seeing a lot of herself. What reminded her of Kenshin was endearing, but the aspects of herself that came through were those she'd rather forget. Her struggles, her weakness.
The girl brought up another memory for Aya. The dream she had the night before they departed for Yaksha. The one which prompted her to accompany Kenshin in the first place…
The stars were quickly coalescing, and striking her with all the blunt force of a hyper beam to the face. She could only assume it was because if it didn't, she might have overlooked the girl entirely… for the second time today, she recalled. Guess Mismagius was in on the conspiracy, then. One mystery solved. Which led to the next question: Why this one? Aya searched for the purpose, but was finding herself at a loss. The thought of this girl being the answer to Yaksha's warlord crisis, even in hypothetical terms, was insulting. Nothing significant about this girl could be ascertained by her appearance alone. Not her personality, not her values, not her leadership skills. The one exception was her weakness, unable to be hidden even under dark hoods and studded leather boots. Weakness in warriors was irredeemable in Aya's eyes, and a weak warlord was the last thing a struggling kingdom like Yaksha needed right now. It was a thought she wouldn't entertain, even as a sick joke.
Thinking back to her dream left Aya with another bewildering prospect, one that equally unnerved her. If this is what had called her to Yaksha, in the midst of such a crisis, then she was about to gain further experience in ignoring fate's cries. This kingdom was rife with suffering now. What possible problems could one young woman have that required special intervention from a woman who lived in another kingdom hundreds of miles apart? What put her struggles above the rest of her kingdom? If this was what Aya had been called here for, then she refused. The needs of Yaksha came before the needs of a single person. And if this girl was so weak, all the better Aya not get involved. Better she find the solution to her problems on her own than depend on the help of another. Whatever this young lady needed, she would have to grow strong and find it on her own. Let fate hold her in contempt, but the Uesugi lady had made her choice.
Yuuki noticed the new arrival, and her greeting for her took on a special tone. "Hey, Mitsubachi!" Satorei brought her full attention to the entrance, the joyful smile on her aging face matching her young employee's enthusiasm.
"Mitsubachi, sweetheart!" she regarded the woman sweetly, "I was hoping you'd stop by today!"
Through the shadows obscuring her face, a bright, beautiful, albeit reserved smile could be seen. "With all the excitement happening in the city, I wasn't about to miss out." Her voice was just what Aya expected. Bashful, soft-spoken. It sounded like she wasn't used to talking very much, and had some difficulty making her voice loud enough to hear. Was everything about this young lady meant to be so… unremarkable?
"Well, don't just stand there, honey." Satorei ordered, "Take a seat, and I'll fix up your usual drink. Dear, get out here! We have an extra special guest that just came!"
Mitsubachi's flushed face was apparent even covered by her shadowy hood. "You don't need to make a fuss for my sake." she muttered, but the comment was lost to everyone but the warlords. And it was then that she noticed the group of four sitting at the bar. Shingen and Kenshin offered her a polite nod, while Ujiyasu stared. Aya smiled, a gesture that seemed innocent enough, but hid a knowing, almost insidious glint beneath the surface. Mitsubachi looked between them for a moment, appearing uncomfortable dealing with the strangers. Especially with Aya. She lingered on the older woman's smile, recognizing the intentions beneath it. The superiority, the knowledge that this woman had already figured her out and knew every one of her wretched flaws. The blush on her cheeks darkened under that gaze. After an awkward moment of silence, she returned the smile and a bow, with an added, "Hi." mumbled shyly in their direction. She walked around them, going to the farthest seat away at the bar, not once meeting their eyes. Perhaps if she had, she would have recognized them for who they were.
"What's all the fuss about out here?" Daishu then came out with a steaming pot of soup. "Can't a man do his work in peace without… Well, if it isn't Mitsubachi!" he exclaimed, his tone quickly changing. "And just where have you been all this time, young lady?"
Mitsubachi shrugged. "I've been busy." she offered nonchalantly. The paltry excuse didn't sit well with her, so she added on after some thought, "This has been the first time I've been able to break away from everything."
Daishu chuckled, "We've heard that one before. Be careful there, kiddo. You're starting to sound like yo-"
"Alright, alright! Enough smalltalk! She's my friend, people." Yuuki interjected, bouncing in front of Daishu. "We're the ones who need to catch up."
Satorei sighed, but allowed a small grin. "Alright, Yuuki. You can take your break now." she responded flatly. "Just don't cause trouble for the other customers."
"Oh, come on. When do we ever cause trouble?" Yuuki questioned.
"WROOOOOAAARR!"
As Mitsubachi was about to take her seat, down from the ceiling came a blur of violet and orange. Mitsubachi let out a startled cry as a shadowed figure fell onto her back, legs wrapping around her waist and arms around her neck. A clawed glove came up to her neck, positioned at the jugular. Noticing the glove, the hooded girl's expression went from surprised to annoyed quickly. Yuuki snickered, and both the owners sighed in exasperation. The warlords present tensed at the scene but made no move to assist, instinctively aware that something wasn't right about this supposed sneak attack. Sure enough, in a matter of moments Rin relinquished her gauntlet and hopped off her victim.
"Did I scare you?" she asked menacingly. The ninja girl looked up to face her victim, to find Mitsubachi glaring back at her.
SMACK!
"You idiot! The hell's the matter with you, Rin?!" Mitsubachi cried, swatting the shorter woman over the head. All shyness had left her. Her voice had no difficulty carrying through the entire room. Aya found herself surprised. Listening to her before, you would never have guessed her voice could hold so much power. "At what point does prowling around in the shadows and scaring me sound like a good idea? Oh, I know; the part where you give me a heart attack and kill me! That's my favorite part! I can't leave you alone for a month without you becoming a menace to society, can I?!"
As she carried on, Rin visibly shrunk under the magnitude of her scolding, blue eyes growing big and remorseful. Meanwhile, Yuuki kept on laughing behind Mitsubachi. "I'm sorry, sis!" Rin wailed, throwing her arms around her former victim in a bone-crushing hug. "I wasn't trying to kill you! It was just a joke! Please, please, please don't hate me!"
"You know I don't hate you." she groaned out through the strain of her lungs being squeezed. "But really, I can't take any more surprises like that today. As it is, I had a close call this morning, and I had to do way more running than should be necessary for any human today. My heart needs a rest."
Yuuki chuckled, "The festival's barely started, and you're already at your limit?"
Mitsubachi and Rin sat down at the bar, and Yuuki came around to take another seat next to them. "Whoever thought this week-long festival was a good idea is an idiot." she declared, ignoring Rin's look of perplexity and Yuuki's amused snort. "And I'm an idiot for letting you talk me into this, Yuuki. I won't be able to keep up with all this insanity! Total Eclipse is gonna be the death of me…"
"You're not giving out on us now, Mitsubachi." Yuuki encouraged, reaching over Rin to pat her friend's shoulder. "This is gonna be the best week ever, and you're spending it with us! So we need to keep you energized." She turned to her employer. "Hey, Miss Satorei! Let's get this girl a drink, yeah?"
"And some dragon's brew for me while you're at it!" Rin added.
"Already ahead of you, ladies." the owner declared, bringing over three drinks for the trio. "A star burst for you, Yuuki. A dragon's brew for Rin," she held out the drink to the ninja girl, who accepted it with a watering mouth. "but only because my restaurant is still in tact this time." Satorei added, causing Rin to glower at her with a less-than-intimidating pout. "And the Mitsubachi special for the sweetest girl in town." she said with a smile and a wink, passing the drink to it's namesake. Her face went immediately red.
"The name I came up with was 'a slow, sweet death'." she mumbled.
"Well, 'the Mitsubachi special' sells better." Daishu told her. "Understandably, people were turned off by a drink with the word 'death' in it. Go figure."
"You're not actually selling something with my name on it, are you?" she asked, embarrassed by the mere thought.
Daishu shot her a reassuring smile. "It's 'the Vespiquen special' to the rest of our customers." he stated.
Mitsubachi didn't seem much more pleased with this answer. "Clever." she grumbled. "Well, that makes three misfits. All we're missing now is Keitatsuo and Zweilous. Either of you seen them today?"
While Satorei was continuing her conversation with the warlords, Kenshin and Ujiyasu overheard as Mitsubachi made this query. They drowned out Aya and Satorei's discussion for a moment to listen to the conversation the three young women were having. Yuuki and Rin looked less than pleased with the turn of the conversation, Rin especially.
"Sorry, don't know." Yuuki shrugged.
"Don't care to know, either." Rin mumbled, hunching over and scowling.
Mitsubachi didn't seem amused. "Come on, guys. I wanted to spend time with all of you this week." Her mouth hung open for a moment, like it had when speaking with Daishu. It suggested that she intended to add onto what had been said. But a moment later, just enough time to give it a second thought, her mouth closed, adding nothing further. The gesture was lost to her friends, but not to Aya.
The ninja mused, "Ugh, do we really need to bring Keitatsuo along? We'll have way more fun if it's just the three of us."
"You're just mad that you lost a battle to him this morning." Yuuki stated, souring the fire warrior's spirits further. She gave an animalistic snort in response. Yuuki raised her hands in defense. "I mean, just being totally fair here."
"So he's on a battling binge already?" Their hooded friend asked, deciding not to ask for details about the specific battle between the two dragon warriors, given Rin's response.
"Other than Rin, I've had two out-of-towners come in here today with their Pokemon, talking about a guy with a Zweilous who mopped the floor with them." The dark haired girl relayed, "I'm betting that he's been at it since the sun got up."
"That sounds like our boys." Mitsubachi agreed. "He must be ecstatic right now. Between Ransei's unification and what happened with Lord Kotaro, there really haven't been that many warriors passing through the kingdom looking for a battle. Maybe Zweilous will evolve."
"Not before Charmeleon, he won't." Rin declared.
Mitsubachi raised an eyebrow, looking over her shoulder. "Hey, where is Charmeleon anyway?" she wondered, noticing the fire lizard's absence for the first time. It seemed that Rin, too, was just becoming aware of this fact.
"Aw, crap!" she realized, "He went outside so that I could surprise you; I forgot to call him back in!"
This didn't seem to be the response Mitsubachi was looking for. "Dude." she muttered, clearly not amused.
"Attention, Dragon's Den patrons!" came a shout from the entrance, drawing all eyes to the source of the commotion.
"Speak of the devil." Yuuki said, rolling her eyes as she saw who it was.
"To the owner of a non-dragon, fire-type Pokemon, your partner was illegally parked outside of the building!" Keitatsuo went on, walking inside. He was joined by his Zweilous, as well as Rin's Charmeleon. The latter was being held haphazardly under his arm, though not looking the least bit irritated with its situation. In fact, he seemed beyond happy as his eyes met with his masked warrior. The same couldn't be said of Rin, who seemed to be struggling to hold back a volcano of rage. Keitatsuo carried on, "Please come to the front to pick up your Pokemon, and pay the required fine of 1,000 poku to the Yaksha soldier currently in possession of your Pokemon!"
"You'll be the one paying if you don't put down Charmeleon right now!" Rin screeched through bared teeth.
"Big words from miss pipsqueak across the room." he chuckled, "I'm interested to see you try to back them up." This looked to be the breaking point for the ninja girl's patience, as she bolted to her feet and made to lunge at the boy. In response to this quick reaction driven by impulse and fury, Mitsubachi sighed and calmly reached up to grab the back of her robes and gently bring her friend back to her sitting position. Though Rin had well beyond ten times the taller girl's strength, Aya noted how she acquiesced with no resistance. Being pacified didn't stop her from glaring death at the man, who returned the glower with a smug smirk.
"Nothing?" he asked, "Well, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off with a warning this time-"
"Would you just shut up and get your ass inside already, Keitatsuo?! Ya good for nothing punk!" Daishu snapped finally, "You're gonna scare off all our customers, loitering in the door like that."
"Pft. What customers?" the young man snorted, looking around the sparse building. "It's the middle of the day; your rush hour's not for another three hours or so." He set Charmeleon onto the ground, giving a quick pat to its head. "She's all yours, buddy." he said before letting the fire lizard go. It wasted no time charging back to its partner (leaving a path of destruction behind once more). She promptly scooped him up and set him into her lap, where he affectionately licked the exposed half of her face. Yuuki and Mitsubachi flinched away a bit as its flame-tipped tail began to wag and embers came close to them.
The young warrior and his Pokemon sauntered inside, all eyes falling on the new arrival, particularly three masked warlords who recalled their prior encounter with the lad earlier. Seemed that Keitatsuo recognized them as well. Despite this, he walked past them without incident, making his way to the three ladies on the other side.
"Hi, Keitatsuo." Mitsubachi greeted with a friendly smile, "Good to see you."
"Glad to know someone here is." he replied.
"Go to hell." Rin breathed hotly, snuggling Charmeleon closer.
"So where've you been hiding?" the hooded girl asked, her tone playful and smile bright.
Keitatsuo laughed, taking on an attitude similar. "That's my question." he rebutted, "You're the one who thinks it's okay to disappear for three months and leave me alone with these two." he waved a hand between Yuuki and Rin. "They gang up on me when you're not here, you know."
Yuuki rolled her eyes. "Oh, give me a break." she grumbled.
"Mm, I don't know about that." the hooded girl answered, "From what I heard, you and Zweilous did a number on Rin and Charmeleon this morning."
"Sis!" Rin cried in dismay.
"Oh yeah? You heard about that?" Keitatsuo asked, looking very pleased with both the recognition and the ninja girl's response. Rin growled and slumped over the bar, her nails digging into the surface.
"I got the abridged version, anyway." Mitsubachi responded. "How long did the battle go for?"
The warrior puffed out his chest proudly. "Ninety seconds flat." he reported. "Not bad, huh?" Rin's nails dug further into the wood.
Mitsubachi found the information more amusing, bringing a hand to her mouth and letting out a soft giggle. "What's that? A Keitatsuo battle lasting more than a few seconds?" The smug expression quickly fell from his face, and found its way over to Rin. "Sounds like you're getting soft on me. No wonder these guys are ganging up on you."
Keitatsuo scowled. "Whatever. I still beat the half-pint." he insisted. Rin immediately went back to sulking.
"Eat dragon claw." his former opponent huffed as he walked around her. He stopped and towered over her, barking out a laugh in response to the threat.
"Dragon claw, huh? I thought only dragon-types could learn that move." This little remark clearly touched a nerve with his opponent, who immediately turned and lunged at him.
"I AM A DRAGON!" she screeched, flailing her fists around like mad. Her adversary merely smirked and held her at arm's length.
Yuuki watched their squabble with amusement, and Mitsubachi sighed. "Bad dragons; no fighting!" she scolded, glancing over her shoulder. Charmeleon and Zweilous, mostly ignorant to their partners' battle, were greeting each other happily like the friends that they were. "You two could stand to learn something from your Pokemon." The curt remark was all Keitatsuo needed to break contact with Rin, whom he had pulled into a headlock. This didn't keep her from angling her arm to repeatedly punch his left arm and bite down on his right. When he relinquished her, Rin gave up the fight as well.
"I'm good. I think she learned her lesson." Keitatsuo chuckled, moving to take the free spot next to Mitsubachi. Not before Rin could land a final jab to his back. "That ought to give you an idea of what happened earlier."
"You two flailed around like a couple of four-year-olds for a minute and a half while your Pokemon sat on the sidelines?" she quipped, "Can't say I'm disappointed about missing that one."
"To be fair, it was the best fight I've had today." he relented, "Second longest battle lasted about… I'd say 50 seconds or so."
"Who does that honor go to?"
"You're not gonna believe this, but some older guy with a Carnivine. Weapon of choice was a broadsword. Really knew his stuff. Still beat him, but damn."
"What's a Carnivine?" Mitsubachi asked.
"Grass-type. Bulbous green thing with a bunch of vines hanging off it. Big, round eyes and long, sharp teeth." As he described the Pokemon to her, Mitsubachi went to her bag, rummaging through it and pulling out a stack of papers, and a brush and ink. Swiftly, she began writing notes in some form of shorthand.
"Ooh!"
"It's not as cool as it sounds." he assured her.
"Alright then, what was cool?"
"Uh… let's see… There was that guy with a Metang, which is a steel-type Pokemon. That was like my quickest battle of the day, but I've heard Metang are really, really rare. So that was kind of cool. There was that Darmanitan that was insane. Managed to knock the wind out of Zweilous at one point."
"Hey, Charmeleon and I battled them. Yeah, they were super strong!" Rin interjected, "The man said he was from Dragnor, you know."
"That's not surprising." Keitatsuo said, "You think he was a part of Lord Nobunaga's army?"
"Wouldn't surprise me."
"So that was awesome- oh, right. Fire-type, Mitsubachi. Big, red, massive fists, and crazy eyes. Oh, you're gonna love this! There was a woman with a Dusclops, a ghost-type!"
"I definitely know that one." Mitsubachi answered with a wide smile. "Did you fight them?"
"Nah; it wouldn't have been much of a challenge for Zweilous to fight a ghost-type. And the girl wasn't much for battles; I could tell just by looking at her. Zweilous took an icicle crush head-on from a Beartic a little while ago."
"You fought a Beartic?!" Mitsubachi exclaimed, "Aren't dragons weak to ice attacks?"
Keitatsuo shrugged. "You can't expect to get stronger if you're always fighting with an advantage. Not that the guy was much of a challenge either. Zweilous didn't even flinch, right, buddy?" the two-headed dragon growled in agreement, moving both heads around to show that he had taken no serious damage.
"Actually, speaking of strong opponents, I ran into those guys after the Beartic fight." he mentioned, pointing over to the group of masked warriors at the other end of the bar. "Yeah, don't think I don't recognize you with those masks on. I'm still expecting a battle with you and your Pokemon!" Ujiyasu turned, prepared to tell the kid off again, but the hooded girl beat him to it.
"Don't go picking fights with people in a bar." she scolded him. She turned to the group of warlords, clearly embarrassed by her disruptive friend. "Sorry! Just ignore him, and we'll be sure to keep him on a tight leash." she promised.
"I don't need a guardian, Mitsubachi." he grumbled, though her scolding seemed to have worked. Whether by guilt for his words, or respect for the woman next to him, he did not attempt any further instigation with the four. "What's the point of being a warrior if you don't fight alongside your Pokemon?" the dragon warrior snapped.
"You just worry about yourself and Zweilous, and let other warriors and their Pokemon decide that for themselves." she responded, "Personally, if I were a warrior, I wouldn't want the bond I shared with my partner to be measured by the number of battles we fight."
Keitatsuo scoffed. "There's no better test of a warrior's link than a battle. You'd know that if you were one."
"Don't be rude to my sis!" Rin snapped.
"I'm just being honest."
"I know that's how it is." Mitsubachi agreed, "But it's not all there is to your bonds. I mean, you can't tell me that Zweilous is nothing more than a weapon to you."
"I wouldn't say that, no." he answered, "But we did form our link through fighting. You can't expect to bond with a dragon-type Pokemon unless you're strong enough to earn its respect." Zweilous growled and stomped its feet. Its partner laughed at the gesture. "See? He agrees with me."
The hooded girl sighed. "Alright then; what do I know, I guess." she mumbled in consent.
"You're not wrong, sis; not at all." Rin assured her, "Keitatsuo's just weird."
"That's funny coming from you, char-brain." he rebutted, "You're the weirdo who traveled all the way to Ignis and lived among a herd of wild Charmander for two weeks until you found one crazy enough to link with you."
Rin scowled. "Charmeleon isn't crazy. Our link was formed because he saw past my human guise and recognized me for who I truly am!"
Daishu rolled his eyes. "Oh, here we go again…" he muttered.
"He looked into my eyes, and knew that I was once a mighty Charizard! In another life, I ruled the skies above with my dragon brethren. Cruel fate deigned that I fall to earth and be reborn in this lesser form. But one day…" she stood on her seat, placing one foot on the bar, raising a fist in glorious determination. "One day, Charmeleon and I together shall fulfill our sacred destiny, and ascend ourselves to the heavens, Charizards once more!" Charmeleon jumped up with this declaration and growled triumphantly beside her. The entire room went silent, those that had heard this story before just as baffled as the first time they had heard it, and the warlords who had not unsure how to even respond to such a ludicrous thing.
"Rin… I'm going to cut you off for the rest of the day, honey…" Satorei said, tentatively reaching for the ninja's drink and taking it away from her.
"And get down from my bar, ya lunatic." Daishu added, "You break it, you're paying for it." The self-proclaimed dragon girl carried out these orders with a clear pout, dejected by the less-than-impressive response from the rest.
From there, the four friends' conversation turned to far less interesting topics. On and off, Aya would tune in, overhearing ordinary stories. Yuuki spoke zealously about the festival, and customers that had come in from all across Ransei. She talked about many other friends she had run into that day, and a bit about her family. Of the four, she was the most animated and talkative. The young man in their group discussed and boasted about various warriors he had triumphed over. Rin would occasionally chime in with her own stories of battles, usually to one-up her fellow dragon warrior. Sometimes her rival bickered and competed with her, other times, he sought to impress the hooded girl he sat next to. Both warriors only seemed to be interested in speaking when it involved battles. The only exception to this was when Rin brought out a journal of her own and swapped it with Mitsubachi's. Aya half-listened as the two ladies critiqued one another's creative works. When asked, Yuuki noted that she had left the new poems she had written at home. It seemed that art connected the group of four, as Mitsubachi chided Keitatsuo for not using his own talent enough. He dismissed the comment with a lack of interest, stating a greater desire for battles. Apart from reviewing Rin's apparently extensive collection of dragon illustrations, Mitsubachi spoke very little. She listened with a contented grin as her three friends talked and bickered and joked. She gave an occasional chuckle, and little else. Yet she seemed happy in doing so, her demeanor so different from when she had first walked in.
"Hey, sis?" Rin asked, pushing Mitsubachi's journal back over to her and pointing at one of the pages. "Is that what I think it is?"
Keitatsuo glanced down at the journal, and his eyebrows raised. "Whoa." he muttered, leaning over the hooded girl's shoulder slightly to get a better look. "Did you draw all of these today?" he asked as he slid the book between the two of them.
"Er, yeah. Before I made my way over here." she confirmed, "I mean, they're not the best; I had to work off memory alone."
"What's up?" Yuuki queried, getting up and standing behind Mitsubachi and Keitatsuo.
"Th-they're just some quick sketches…" she insisted meekly.
"Of some crazy rare Pokemon!" the man next to her remarked. "Crobat, Gallade, Dragonair…"
"Uh, actually, that one's supposed to be a Serperior." she offered, tone clearly expressing embarrassment towards the lackluster sketch.
"Seriously?"
"I'm… pretty sure?" she offered.
"Holy hell." He uttered, eyes glancing to another illustration, one that appeared to be the most accurate to its model. "And that… that's a freaking Froslass." It was this observation that caught Aya's attention, and brought her focus back to the teens' conversation. She could almost hear her mother's voice in the back of her head telling her to be quiet and pay attention.
Mitsubachi's eyes lit up. "I know. Gorgeous, right? I don't think I did her nearly enough justice."
"You saw all of these today?" he asked. She nodded. "Well, shit. All this time, I've been fighting in the wrong part of town. How'd you get lucky enough to see all these powerhouses?"
"I'm keeping that to myself." she declared, snatching the book away and closing it shut. "I don't want you causing trouble for anyone."
"Were they any good?" he asked.
She laughed, a reaction she couldn't hold back. "The best."
"Then Zweilous and I have to fight them." he insisted. "C'mon, I'll owe you big time. This week might be the last chance in a while that we get to fight truly strong opponents."
A pause. An exasperated sigh. "I'm only telling you this because I know they're gonna be here for a while and you're bound to see them anyway." she groaned, "You guys need to promise me that you won't freak out, though."
"Promise" the three each said with a nod.
"I'm so gonna regret this." she sighed, but began her story nonetheless. She kept her voice low, wanting their conversation to be as private as possible. It hardly mattered; their conversation had already earned the attention of four people. The last people she would want to hear her story. "I ended up sleeping at the castle last night."
"You did what?" Keitatsuo sputtered, seeming aghast by this proclamation.
"Sis, that's insane!" Rin exclaimed. "The castle was barely safe when the Fuma were in charge. That place is probably some gang's hangout now, or a cover for Yaksha's underground."
Mitsubachi shook her head. "I think the traps are still active in there. I got in the way Lord Kotaro showed me." she assured her worrying friends. "Aside from some wild Pokemon, it's abandoned. Well, it was last night, anyway. I got some guests this morning."
"Did you get attacked?" Rin asked, clutching the top of the bar anxiously.
"Nah, I used the old ninja passages to sneak out; I'm pretty sure I got away undetected. They were busy having a conference."
"Conference?" the ninja asked, "Oh boy, they must have been part of The Underground."
"Uh… no, no. They weren't. Kind of the opposite, actually."
"Ugh, was it the nobles?" Keitatsuo asked, nose scrunched in disgust. "There's been rumors that Seiryu and the rest of them are setting up to take control of the kingdom, starting with the castle."
Mitsubachi scoffed, "No, it wasn't Lord "holier than thou' Seiryu, or the rest of the 'aristocracy.' It, ah…" Another pause. Another long groan. "Okay. A group of seventeen." the last word was mumbled as quietly as she could. It seemed that her friends had already caught on in spite of this, eyes wide and mouths agape. "With their Pokemon."
"No flipping way." Rin uttered.
"There was a Gallade…"
"Shut the hell up." Keitatsuo whispered.
"A Rhyperior…"
A jaw-breaking smile bloomed on his face, and he shook in his seat. "It's the warlords." the words were filled with an out-of-place giddiness, uttered so low they almost couldn't be heard.
"An Umbreon-"
"YEAH!" Keitatsuo roared, slamming his fist on the tabletop, much to Mitsubachi's fright. Her entire body tensed at her companion's over-the-top reaction, looking much like a Meowth with its hair standing on end.
"Shhhh-shh-shh! What the hell, man?!" she growled, "Good job not freaking out!"
"Finally." he carried on, ignoring her scowl of disapproval. His voice rumbled with fierce determination. "This is the chance I've been waiting for; the ultimate test of my might! An opportunity to battle the greatest warriors in all of Ransei! A chance to conquer the greatest warriors in Ransei!"
"What's he on about?" Daishu asked, glancing over at the young man with a tired scowl.
Mitsubachi responded, "Just the usual delusions of grandeur." she insisted with a hand wave. It was enough for the owner to shrug and resume his cleaning behind the bar.
"Come on, Mitsubachi. We count on you to keep those two in check. You're these hooligans' big sister, after all."
"I'm two years older than her, Daishu!" Rin huffed.
"And two feet shorter." Keitatsuo sniggered.
"What was that?!"
"Alright; cool off, the both of you." Mitsubachi interjected, proceeding to slap both of them in the back of their heads. She went a bit rougher on Keitatsuo for his earlier outburst. "I hope you learned something from this."
"That you hit like a five-year-old?" Keitatsuo suggested. She looked annoyed, but didn't bother to rebut the comment. There were more important things to say.
"If you want me to spill, I'd refrain from the outbursts." she insisted, bringing their conversation back to a lower volume.
"What more is there to say?" Yuuki asked.
"It's not all of them, and I don't just mean that Lord Kotaro isn't there."
"You said there were seventeen." Keitatsuo reminded her, looking slightly disappointed. He asked in a voice bordering on desperate, "Was Nobunaga at least there?"
"What about Yukimura Sanada?" Rin queried, "You know, Shingen Takeda's general with the Charizard?"
"Sorry, guys." Keitatsuo went from looking only slightly disappointed to completely crestfallen. Rin looked much the same. "Nobunaga sent a delegate to represent Dragnor, and Lord Shingen was Terrera's only representative. The only kingdoms that had two delegates were Aurora and Illusio. Lord Kenshin was there with his sister."
Keitatsuo raised an eyebrow. "Kenshin Uesugi has a sister?" he asked.
Mitsubachi shrugged. "Apparently. She was the one with the Froslass."
"Huh, weird." he muttered, but didn't seem to give it much more thought. He sighed. "Of all the ones to be absent, it had to be the ultimate badass."
The hooded girl rolled her eyes. "Ah, yes. The man who had his army burn down our city for no reason. Truly, the sort of role model we should all aspire to be."
"He won. It was his right to do what he wanted with his territory." he justified. "And he rebuilt the city after the battle. Your house was one of the lucky ones that got spared, remember? It's not worth holding a grudge over."
"I don't have a grudge." she corrected him, "I have common sense. We shouldn't praise people who think it's okay to destroy people's lives for their own gain. He didn't even have anything to gain by destroying the city."
"Consolidating his power. Intimidating potential rebels into submission. Rebuilding his new territory's capital to better represent Dragnor's ideals. It's fairly standard warfare tactics." he explained.
"He didn't rebuild the city, though. That was us, that was Yaksha."
"But he provided the resources."
"Because that makes it okay." she snorted, "Speaking of which, I saw Lord Ujiyasu. He's okay, in case any of you were wondering."
"I've been telling you all along he was fine." he responded, "Out of everyone I know, you were the only one who was worried about the old man."
"It was Lord Ujiyasu that gave my parents the money they needed to build… to build the house." Mitsubachi blurted out, before Keitatsuo was able to get in another word. That seemed to kill whatever snide remark he was about to make. He wasn't the only one that stopped cold. The very man, hidden beneath the Terrakion mask, found himself frozen, incredulous. He could feel the eyes of the other three glancing his way questioningly, but he could care less at the moment.
Well, I'll be damned. He thought, It's Kurokami's daughter after all. He tried to turn his head just enough to get a better look at the girl. That kid would have been about eighteen by now. The young woman he saw appeared as though she could be in her mid-twenties, and looked nothing like the daughter of a well-to-do family. She was worn, beaten down, tired. Maybe it was just the shadows obscuring her face, a trick of the light. And hell, he'd only seen the kid a handful of times, anyway. Did he really have the right to analyze her and assume the worst? No, but the thought still lingered that this scenario was just too familiar to him. The Uesugi had been a respectable, normal family by outward appearances as well. To this day, he'd heard not a word from Kenshin or even Aya about their father. Though he was long dead, both continued to hold their silence rather than expose him for the monster that he had been. Ujiyasu was reluctant to believe that Mako Kurokami could be such a monster. That man would do anything for his family. So why was his daughter wandering around the city unattended, wearing torn, ratty clothes, sneaking into the abandoned castle, and hanging around these punks? Maybe she was going through a rebellious phase, got involved with the wrong crowd. It was natural, especially for someone her age. Yet he felt his stomach turn with guilt as he remembered how he had thought the same things about Aya before he had learned the truth.
Damn, this was going to haunt him… but no. They were here to help the entire kingdom, not just one family, one girl. It wasn't his place to get involved with a family's private affairs. This wasn't a small child unable to defend themselves. This was an adult woman, able to make her own decisions. If she was in a bad situation, she had the ability to leave it.
How many times had Aya and Kenshin run away, just to end up returning?
What would it hurt to take a short trip to Kurokami House, catch up with an acquaintance from the old days? If they were looking to fix the kingdom anyway, it would be a great boon to have the support of the place some referred to as 'The Castle of the People.' If something was amiss, he'd be able to see it for himself. If there was nothing, he could put these worries to rest and focus exclusively on the work of repairing this kingdom.
"I mean, yeah, sure." Keitatsuo finally replied, seeming uncertain of how to go about this, "But can you really still say that house was a blessing?"
"The dream that made that place a reality still counts." she stated firmly. "Just like the dream that made the entire kingdom, and even all of Ransei a reality. The warlords are here, guys. They came here. That means they believe after everything Yaksha's been through, we can be salvaged. That means they still believe that this kingdom's dream still counts. If they still have faith in a big dream like that, then maybe there's still hope for a small dream like the one my parents had for the house."
Keitatsuo groaned, running a hand over his face. "Geez, Mitsubachi. You are way too optimistic. It's so depressing."
"Come on, Keitatsuo!" Yuuki scolded him, "Are you really gonna tell her not to have hope that things will get better? What kind of friend would do that?"
"You come on!" he snapped. "This is Yaksha. Things never change around here. It's not just her life, it's everything. Yuuki, you haven't shut up all month about how this festival is going to change everything. Ya know what's gonna happen? Some teenagers are gonna party for seven days, the tourists are gonna spend money, tear the city apart, then everyone's gonna go home. What do you think? Tsukikage's gonna go on stage, sing a song, and people are gonna start magically giving a shit about each other? It's been three months since Kotaro disappeared. Where the hell have the warlords been in all that time? They obviously don't give a shit about us."
"They're here now, aren't they?" Mitsubachi stated.
He snorted, "Probably to divide up the kingdom and decide who gets what. I bet the capital's gonna end up part of Cragspur. 100 poku says I'm right! If there's a fight for it, though, I've got 300 on Lord Shingen!"
Mitsubachi frowned, "They're not trying to kill the kingdom. They're holding a conference to decide on a new warlord."
"Then my money's still on Lord Shingen."
"Wouldn't the territory just fall back to the Hojo?" Yuuki asked, "Lord Ujiyasu was warlord before Nobunaga came in."
"There was concern that one warlord with two kingdoms would have too much power." Mitsubachi explained. "They were even reluctant to consider generals with experience as delegates because they could be influenced to serve in their warlord's best interest."
"The Aurora twins aren't gonna take charge?" Keitatsuo asked, "They're the idiots who gave Yaksha to Kotaro in the first place. You'd think they'd want to clean up their mess."
Mitsubachi scowled, "After the battle in Dragnor, they just returned the kingdoms to the warlords they had originally taken them from. Your 'ultimate badass' Nobunaga was actually 'the idiot who gave Yaksha to Lord Kotaro in the first place.' If anyone should take the blame for this it's him. Even then, it's not right to blame him for Kotaro taking off. No one told him to do that. He just did it."
"It was still a stupid move to return the eastern kingdoms to Nobunaga's generals. All those kingdoms conquered just to be returned to the enemy in the end. What's even the point?"
"A gesture of good faith. A call to put aside the past and walk towards a future where the seventeen kingdoms are in harmony." she said without a moment's thought. She turned to her cynical friend and grinned. "Fairly standard peace tactics, you could say."
"I call it lip service." he insisted, "Aurora's warlords united Ransei under their banner, and now all the kingdoms are under their control. None of the other warlords have any real power now. If they do something that Aurora doesn't approve of, Aurora's gonna go in and reverse it."
"That's not what I saw. That room had the leaders of sixteen different kingdoms gathered around one table as equals. I'm not gonna say it was complete peace or anything. There was definitely a major clashing of egos."
"Of course." Rin remarked.
"But I don't think that was the result of some selfish desire for control or power. Apart from maybe one or two warlords, it truly felt like everyone was trying to figure out what was best for Yaksha. I mean, there was so much that they took into account, stuff that I never would have thought about. They remembered the ninjas. They remembered that this was the kingdom of dark Pokemon. They're trying to find someone able to represent every aspect of this kingdom equally."
"And the verdict?" Keitatsuo asked.
"Still deciding."
He scoffed. "Great. That bureaucratic BS that's gonna go around in circles and end up accomplishing nothing. That was the nice thing about being in Lord Kotaro's army. We didn't have to sit around waiting for a group of high and mighty generals and officers to give us orders. The only thing I needed to do was attack whatever was in my way."
"Is it any wonder Yaksha got claimed by Aurora's army with strategy like that?" Rin snickered.
"I'm not gonna hear anything about strategy coming from you." he snipped, "And it wasn't a lack of strategy that cost Yaksha that battle. You know why we lost to Aurora? That 110 percent bullshit roulette that Lord Kotaro came up with! Some ninja trick that teleported people at random in the middle of battle. I was barely able to land a hit on any opponent because I kept getting warped round the battlefield! Why have a trap that can backfire on your own army so easily?! I swear, I was an inch away from the enemy's second-in-command at one point, only to get warped to the other side of the battlefield."
"That's Kotaro for you." Mitsubachi noted. "He never cared about winning or losing; just wanted to screw with as many people as possible."
"I should've gone over to Dragnor's army…" he mumbled.
"Nothing was stopping you." Rin remarked.
He explained, "I wanted to make my claim as the strongest warrior in Yaksha before I made my way to Dragnor. That's still the case."
"Well, the festival's likely to bring in some of the toughest warriors across Ransei, not just the warlords." Mitsubachi speculated, "I don't think you'll have a better chance to prove you're the best."
He smirked. "You trying to get rid of me, too?"
She returned the smile and a light chuckle. "No, of course not. It just feels like now is the perfect time for you to make good on your plans to leave Yaksha, and become the best in Ransei. There's nothing to hold you back, you know?"
"Yeah… I guess so." he agreed, his brazen persona slipping for a moment. It returned quickly with a tight sneer. "Just don't miss me too much when I'm gone, y'know? I know I'm irreplaceable and all, but you'll be alright without me."
Yuuki grimaced, "I don't see any of us having trouble."
"Just do me a favor and stay away from the warlords, okay?" Mitsubachi pleaded at her warrior friend.
"Why the hell would I do that?" he asked incredulously.
"They're here to help Yaksha recover from Kotaro's disappearance. They've got an important job to do, and I doubt they'd want some random kid in their face demanding a battle from them. As it is, bringing in a new warrior is going to be an uphill battle. They don't need any added conflict, even a small one."
"What are you expecting to happen?" Rin asked.
"Well, you know the second Seiryu finds out the warlords from every single kingdom are here, he's going to try wrapping his greasy little hands around their necks. He and Kinshini are going to hit them with their poisonous conspiracies, try to convince them that Yaksha's 'corrupted by immorality and evil', and they're 'the saving light to cleanse us'."
"What a load of crap!" Keitatsuo barked. "No one with a functioning brain would buy that."
"And yet people still listen." she reminded her friends. "We wouldn't be talking about it right now if there weren't people out there who took it seriously."
"The warlords won't listen to them; one look at the city is all you need to know the nobles aren't lifting a finger to help anyone." Yuuki declared.
"Ehh… it depends…" Mitsubachi contemplated, cringing as a thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Let me sell this to you, my great and honorable Lord Keitatsuo!" Her voice suddenly took on a very posh, flamboyant dialect. Her voice carried further as it seemed to gain strength. She sounded nothing like herself at all, even to the ears of her closest friends. "Oh, what a bittersweet tragedy, to have you and your esteemed warlord comrades grace us with your glory at our darkest hour!" She accented her speech with various hand gestures and arm flails, bringing one arm to her brow as though she would faint. "What shame it brings me, a lady of one of the oldest noble families of our great kingdom, to have you bear witness to our Yaksha, decimated by vandals and deviants! We nobles have endeavored to preserve order in the kingdom, but alas, the hearts of the people have been corrupted by a demon. A vile rogue named Tsukikage! She is a repugnant anarchist who calls the poor, vulnerable youth to acts of crime and debauchery! The things she sings about! Slandering authority, defying the law, enticing youths to rebel against their elders! It's scandalous! It is surely this siren and her music that has corrupted the fragile minds of the commoners, too stupid to think for themselves! You must put a stop to her at once, and bring order back to this forsaken kingdom! We beg of you!"
"Yeah, right!" Yuuki scoffed, "There isn't a single person in Yaksha City who wouldn't defend Tsukikage. Any person the warlords speak to would tell them she's a hero."
"And she's far more respected than those old geezers up in the Kizoku District." Rin added.
Keitatsuo continued, eyes gleaming at Mitsubachi, "And she's crazy hot." This statement earned him a sharp flick to his ear from the hooded girl, and a skin-melting glower from Rin.
"You need to stop saying that garbage." Mitsubachi scolded.
"Hey, I can't help it if I think she's got a nice-"
"I mean all of you." she specified, glancing down towards Rin and Yuuki. "That was all I heard on the way over here was 'Tsukikage.' 'Tsukikage's a hero; Tsukikage's revived the city.' 'She's so wonderful.' It's starting to get out of hand."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that." Yuuki cut in, "People really like her, that's all."
"People worship her!" Mitsubachi corrected, "Everyone's calling this 'Tsukikage's Festival'. But what did she do to make any of this happen, really? She suggested that Yaksha City put on this festival, and then she disappeared like she always does. Everyone in the city came together, sacrificed their time and effort to make this happen, but I bet she didn't come around once to lift a finger to help. Did she? And yet they're calling this her festival. We were supposed to be celebrating this kingdom and its people, but instead we're celebrating some glorified entertainer. This should be Yakhsa's victory."
"But the problem isn't Tsukikage, is it?" Keitatsuo observed. "'Cause you love her just as much as everyone else."
"Uh, no. I don't." she insisted as her warrior friend helped himself to another drink, "I really don't."
"You're not mad at her, though. What's got you so upset is that you wanted to be here, and you couldn't. Don't deny it!" he added quickly as he saw her attempt to protest, "It's the same every time something important happens in town, and you're locked up in that house that's apparently been such a blessing."
"Okay, yes; that's definitely a part of it-!" she conceded, that conflicted look appearing on her face once more.
"Eh don't worry about it." he chided with a hand wave, "You're not the only one who was a lazy good-for-nothing this month. I didn't lift a finger to help out either, so there you go."
Yuuki scoffed. "Oh, really? So I guess it wasn't you that I saw building the stage every day for the past four weeks. Well, I guess there's plenty of other warriors in Yaksha with a Zweilous for a partner."
"Hey, genius, I'm trying to make her feel better." he snapped back, though the tinge of red on his face belied some embarrassment of having been caught.
Mitsubachi looked over to her warrior friend, taken aback by this revelation. "Keitatsuo… you were helping set up Total Eclipse?" she wondered, "You told me that you thought it was a stupid idea."
He sighed, directing his gaze over to the wall as he tried to ignore the smirks from Rin and Yuuki. "I stand by that." he assured her, "But I figured… y'know… You wanted to be here to help out, and you couldn't. I wanted nothing to do with it. So, I figured to balance things out, I'd pitch in and do the work that you would've done if you'd been here. It's like, that yin and yang balance crap, right?"
"Tell her about the necklace." Yuuki chimed in with a snicker.
"Sod off, trying to embarrass me!" he commanded, before adding, "It's an amulet, by the way." As he grumbled through this explanation, he pulled a necklace out from underneath his robes. A somewhat cheap metal medallion, decorated with a symbol of a crescent moon, and a generic image of a dragon. "Even wore your amulet the entire time, so it was basically like you were there instead of me. I'm assuming that's what those giggling ghosts over there are trying to get me to say." He gestured to the two girls egging him on, true to his word snorting behind their hands. "So, there you go. I helped out in your name, it's like you were there the whole time, so you've got no reason to be down about it." Keitatsuo stated quickly, willing away the rouge in his face with determination, and angry scowl and a well-placed hand covering part of his face.
Mitsubachi stared down at the necklace dangling from his clenched fist, a gift she had given him a few years back. She had one similar tucked away in her room back home. She glanced up from it to her friend's face. It was obvious he wasn't making anything up. A smile bloomed to life on her face, lighting up her eyes.
"But he shouldn't take all the credit, after all." Yuuki said, prompting Mitsubachi to turn to her other two best friends. "Rin and I were working twice as hard for you as well. We're not ashamed to admit it, either."
"Shut up." the young man barked, indulging in another drink.
"You too, Rin?" the hooded girl asked, understanding that she had also been skeptical about the festival. Her masked friend grinned.
"You're my sister. I'm gonna support you no matter what." she assured her. From behind them, Zweilous and Charmeleon both growled in support for their warriors and their hooded friend.
Suddenly, Mitsubachi stood up, and began packing her things back into her bag.
"Sis?" Rin asked.
"What's up?" Yuuki asked.
Keitatsuo scoffed. "See, this is why I didn't want to say anything. She gets all emotional when people go out of their way for her."
"No, it's not that." she insisted, though her voice cracked slightly, "You guys doing that is what this festival should be about. That's the Yaksha spirit that I want to shine through." She smiled. "But we've got to get going. I want to spend this entire week with you all, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Let's get out there and see what Yaksha's capable of."
Her friends all glanced between one another and acquiesced with neutral shrugs before standing up from their own seats.
"Okay, sounds good." Rin agreed.
"I'm cool with whatever you guys want." Keitatsuo muttered.
Yuuki and Mitsubachi both downed what was left of their drinks. Yuuki quickly got her employer's consent to leave early, and the four friends left the bar, making plans for the week as they went. The eyes of the Uesugi Lady trailed them as they left.
A young man obsessed with battles, desiring to be the strongest warrior in Ransei, rivals with a masked warrior who claims to be reincarnated from a mighty dragon. Both share a close relationship with a young woman that puts them further at odds with one another. A young woman who, while not as powerful as either of them, is able to reign them both in, and set their sights on a common goal to put their strengths towards. A young woman who wears her love for her kingdom on her sleeve, yet meekly hides from some deep pain beneath a long hooded robes. Another more sociable young woman who brings the group together through food and drink and song, though occasionally butts heads with them as well. A group comprised of three women and one young man. The young man, gruff and cynical. The masked warrior, brooding and unsociable. The dark-haired young woman, charismatic and optimistic.
The hooded girl, quiet, yet passionate. She had been the one that Aya had focused most of her attention on. With all the signs pointing her way, she was impossible to ignore. But when Aya looked at the group as a whole, she was surprised to see even more parallels pop up. It wasn't a perfect mirror image, but she couldn't deny watching the four friends felt like déjà vu. As though she was staring twenty or thirty years into the past, gazing fondly at a group of young, ambitious warriors that would go on to become some of the greatest warlords in Ransei's history… and a young woman who didn't quite fit into the picture with the others. This was the part that perplexed her. The girl Yuuki wasn't a warrior herself, so that would be problematic. Keitatsuo and Rin were both rough around the edges, but there was clear potential in both of them to be fine warlords. So why did fate see it fit to point her towards the clear Aya of this group, who wasn't even a warrior on top of that? Her passion was clear, certainly, but love for one's kingdom could only carry a warlord so far. It was why Aya herself had always been better suited to a support role in Illusio's army. Kenshin had the strength and military genius needed to properly rule their kingdom, while she offered a gentle push when needed to make sure he kept Illusio on the right path. A girl that frail and meek. Put her on Yaksha's throne as she was now, and she would crumple to dust. With training and the right guidance, that love for her kingdom could do great things. But that would take time. Years, potentially decades, and time was something Yaksha didn't have.
But strength wasn't the only sign of a great warrior, Aya reminded herself. For what it was worth, the girl had shown a fair amount of positive traits. She was clearly smart, well-spoken, empathetic, loyal. As quiet as she was, she had made it clear that she could roar when needed (that was a trait that actually reminded her of Ryo a small bit). Though that was with friends. Could she call forth that same power in the face of strangers, especially enemies? Could she hold her head up to any of the warlords? No, she didn't have the courage for that. It was as she already knew. Mitsubachi wasn't the solution to Yaksha's warlord conundrum.
But then what was the purpose?! Why had she felt this pull to travel to Yaksha? What was it that forced her to cross paths with this young woman who was so maddeningly familiar to her? She felt a rare twinge of anxiety overcome her, as though her mother's eyes were on her, expectant and patronizing. She mentally sighed, preparing herself for the feeling that was to follow.
Whatever you're asking of me, you'll have to be more specific. Yaksha needs a hero right now. I can't be wasting my efforts on a journey without a clear destination. Directions, if you please. No conniving ghosts, no music, no little girls with moonlight dancing in their eyes.
As expected, the twinge returned, though this time it made her stomach turn as though with guilt. Aya knew it wasn't from the alcohol, either. It was the sort of sensation that could only be felt by hearing a parent tell you that they weren't mad, just disappointed.
Yeah, I suck at writing song lyrics; you don't need to tell me :P
I regret not giving the warlords more screentime in this chapter, especially Aya, but establishing my four characters and the what's happening in Yaksha is more important right now. They'll be in the spotlight next chapter, so everything will work out just fine.
Oh, speaking of next chapter, there's something I wanted to ask you guys last time, but it slipped my mind. Would you be interested in seeing the new characters from Samurai Warriors 4 in this story? Y'know, Koshosho, Nobuyuki, Kojuro? The reason I'm asking is because the next chapter's going to open with a flashback, and certain characters' additions would affect the story for other characters. For example, Ujiyasu's story is vastly different depending on whether or not Hayakawa and his other kids are around. Same goes for Yukimura and Nobuyuki. Now I'm not saying that every SW4 character is going to be included (Kagekatsu and Kagetora in particular would really mess up the storyline if they were around...), but it could be fun to include a few here and there, and they wouldn't hurt too much by just existing. Let me know if you want to see any of them, or if I should keep this strictly to Pokémon Conquest characters only.
As always, I would be happy to get any input to help me improve my writing. I'm not going to make any promises on when the next chapter is arriving, but it shouldn't be as much of a soul-sucking pain as this chapter was. I hope that you enjoyed this long, long overdue chapter of Birth of a Warlord. I hope you enjoyed my characters as well. I'm still intending to get sketches of them up on my deviantart page, so I'll let you know when I finish with those as well. :)
Until then, I bid you all adieu. Farewell 'til next time!