I Wish

Chapter 3: Okuzaki Dojo

Author's note: Once again, I apologize for messing up any of the geographic or cultural history of Nagano Prefecture. I have no idea what Ueda Castle or the surrounding town, if there even is one, looks like. I'm just making this stuff up as I go. Enjoy!

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Stretching as she stepped off the bus, Mai nearly moaned with pleasure as her spine realigned itself. Though long, the journey to the tourist town surrounding Ueda Castle had been enlightening. With luck on her side, she had sat down next to an elderly woman who was returning home after visiting her son in Nagano City. This old woman had lived near Ueda Castle all of her life and had first-hand knowledge that the Okuzaki family dojo was an approximate 30-minute walk north of the town. In her youth the woman's mother had been the housekeeper for the compound, though in recent years it appeared that only those who were there to train could enter the dojo. This last bit of news troubled Mai. She knew that getting onto the premises would be difficult, but with luck she'd come up with a plan before she arrived.

Walking through the town, Mai felt as if she had stepped back in time. The buildings were very old fashioned, and she wondered if they were as old as the castle itself or if they were re-creations to enhance the tourist experience. The beautiful structure that was Ueda Castle could be seen in the distance, but Mai was on mission and visiting the historic building wasn't even on her mind. The redhead wove her way through the town, following the directions given to her by the old woman. Only once did she stop, and that was to buy a bottle of water to cool herself down - it was unseasonably warm for late March. Thankfully, it didn't take long before she found the small dirt foot path that would lead towards the dojo. Lush vegetation surrounding the path blocked out much of the sun, and this caused Mai to pause before entering. Who (or what) she'd find during this walk was unknown, and the semidarkness through which she was about to travel sent a shiver through her body.

"Don't be such a baby! There's nothing in there that you can't handle," admonished the redhead to assure herself.

Stepping onto the shaded path, Mai noticed that the temperature dropped a good 10 degrees. For the time being she was grateful for this reprieve from the heat, but she realized that her trip would have to be a quick one if she was to return to the train station before it got too dark and cold. She hadn't brought more than the clothes on her back and thin jacket for the evening. When she had left early that morning, Mai hadn't even considered that she would be required to hike up into the mountains. The reality of her situation was sinking in: if that old woman was wrong about the amount of time it would take to reach the dojo, she may not make it back down before it got dark, and that would be trouble. With no flashlight and her improper clothing, it could be a death trap. For a brief moment, Mai considered finding a room for the night and beginning the hike the next morning. However, almost immediately, an image of Takumi dying in his hospital room flashed across her mind. "I have to do this, and there is no time to waste. The answer to this mess could be no more than 30 minutes away, so postponing this trip would be foolish." Looking at her watch, the redhead saw that it was 11:30 in the morning, which left her roughly 5 and half hours of daylight. If everything went smoothly, she should be returning along this path with plenty of time to spare. Without any more delay, Mai began her hike.

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A branch whipped across her face, and the girl growled in frustration, "30 minutes my ass! I've been walking uphill for nearly an hour and still no sign of the dojo. Crap, I hope that old lady wasn't as mistaken about the location as she was about how long it takes to hike up there." Mai was about to panic and turn around when she crested the top of the slope: the trees opened up onto an expansive, flat clearing bathed in sunlight. In the center of the clearing, she saw an impressive stone wall over which Mai could just see the tiled roof of what appeared to be a large, old-fashioned building. Without thinking, she started sprinting towards the building and nearly wet herself when a spear flew at her from the direction of the compound. The spear landed a mere two feet from her tense body, and she had to stifle the urge to scream.

A masculine voice called out from behind the gate, "This is private property. Your presence is not welcome."

Mai couldn't believe what was happening. She thought, at the very worst, that they'd be rude and tell her to go, but to actually throw a freaking spear at her??!! These people were crazy!

Mai began to nervously ramble as she wracked her brain on how to gain entry to the building. "Uh, Sir, I apologize for trespassing onto your land. I am in search of the dojo run by the Okuzaki family, and I was told by a local that I would find it at the end of the foot path I just took. Please, can you tell me if this is that dojo?"

For several long moments there was no answer, and Mai feared that whoever was behind the gate was getting ready to throw another spear at her. Finally, a response came, "Who is asking, and why are you here?"

Without thinking things through, Mai blurted out, "I am Mai Tokiha, and I wish to become a student at the Okuzaki dojo!"

There was a moment of silence, but then a sound of laughter was heard just beyond the gate. Mai flushed in sudden, intense anger. They were laughing at her? Was it so hard to believe that she wanted to become a student at this dojo?

"Hey, what are you laughing at!? Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I don't have the strength to train here!" yelled an indignant Mai.

Suddenly, the gate opened, and a slim young man of average height stepped out. He was still chuckling, though it was obvious he was trying to hide it. Infuriated, Mai stormed towards him and poked him in the chest with her finger.

"Who do you think you're laughing at!? How dare you insult me like this!"

"Sorry, my laughter had nothing to do with your gender. It's just that this isn't a dojo for beginners. Those who come here have already had years of training. Let's just say that with your...um, how do I say this tactfully?" Rubbing his chin as if deep in thought, the young man finally continued, gesturing toward her chest, "If you had trained as hard as would be required to join this dojo, you would not be as well endowed as you currently are. Those [much to Mai's embarrassment, the man continued to point out her ample bosom] are not possible with the kind of intense exercise regimen a martial arts master is required to perform."

Mai's face flamed, and she was about to blow up when a smaller figure emerged from behind him. It was Akira.

"That's enough Haruki! Go inside and resume your patrol of the perimeter."

"Hai!" After a quick bow the young man seemingly disappeared.

Akira turned to Mai and looked at her appraisingly, though her gaze lacked the derision the other had possessed. "I apologize for my student. I am Akira, and you have in fact found the Okuzaki dojo. Please forgive the earlier greeting you received, but we are not accustomed to, nor do we usually welcome, casual visitors. At times, our students forget their manners and overreact when people stumble upon this place. I fear it has given us a bad reputation."

Akira took a step to the side and motioned for Mai to enter into the courtyard behind the stone wall. "Please come in. I'll give you a tour, and we can discuss if this is the right school for you."

Mai quickly stepped through the gate and was greeted by a beautiful zen garden with several open areas inhabited by a half dozen students in various stages of training. Some were practicing hand-to-hand combat, while others appeared to be in states of meditation. She stood there for several moments, admiring the odd combination of peaceful beauty juxtaposed against fluid violence.

Beyond the garden was a traditionally-styled house that had shōji screen doors with a rōka (or wood floor) walkway which wrapped around the exterior. The high, tiled roof she had spotted peeking over the top of the stone wall arched over the roka to create an outdoor hallway.

"This is impressive." Mai murmured in astonishment.

Akira gave her a small smile. "Thank you. We believe that training both the body and soul will allow a student to achieve his or her full potential. Rigorous physical and spiritual training is conducted here in this courtyard and in the surrounding mountains." Akira motioned for Mai to follow her. "I'll show you one of our interior training rooms where, as we speak, we have several new students learning some of our basic techniques."

Not wanting to prolong this charade any longer than necessary, Mai had just opened her mouth to confess the truth when Haruki reemerged and stood next to Akira.

"Perimeter secure, Senpai. Murakami-san has taken over sentry duty, and I await further instruction." He gave a quick bow.

"Ah, very well Haruki-san. You can join Tokiha-san and me on our tour and possibly give her a demonstration of some of the more advanced techniques we teach here."

Mai groaned internally. There was no way she could bring up Takumi and the Hime with this guy around. She spied a smirk on Haruki's face, and at the moment she wished she had her Hime powers back so she could blast that look off his ugly mug.

Mai was led through the garden on a path comprised of combed sand and strategically placed flagstone pieces. They stepped onto the wooden walkway that wrapped around the building, and after a short distance, Akira slid open one of the shoji screen doors. What Mai saw made her pause. The "basic" techniques Akira had mentioned included breaking bamboo poles with a swift kick or chop. Bamboo is famous for its ability to absorb energy and is strong enough to be used in construction activities. To see students her age and younger breaking the poles with very little effort was shocking.

Akira looked over and spotted Mai's mouth agape and smiled. "It looks like they're performing something miraculous, ne? The first time I witnessed my parents doing this very thing, I was amazed. It looked like they weren't even trying, and the poles just broke. Of course when I attempted it, I nearly broke my hand."

The three removed their footwear, and Akira lead Mai to the corner of the room and indicated that she should take a seat on the tatami mat floor. "I'll ask the instructor to run the students through some basic drills, so you can get an idea of what you'd be doing here, if your application to the dojo is accepted."

For the next 45 minutes, Mai was treated to a frightening display of strength, agility, and beauty. For the first time, she truly realized what Takumi saw in the boyish looking Akira and couldn't help but look over at her several times in awe. Akira could do what the beginning students were doing and so much more. Towards the end of the demonstration Mai realized that Akira had caught her staring at her. The poor girl was beet red and Mai suspected that her scrutiny must have embarrassed the younger girl.

"Oh, I am sorry! I didn't mean to stare at you like that. Watching those beginning students, I couldn't help wonder what someone like you, someone who has already mastered these techniques, could be capable of" said Mai in an attempt to explain her behavior.

Mai's explanation appeared to relax Akira, and she offered to demonstrate some of the advanced techniques with Haruki as her aid. Mai readily agreed, and the beginning students were also very excited that their senpai would be performing such a demonstration of her skill.

If the earlier drills had awed her, what Akira and Haruki did blew her mind. They were more dancer than warrior, and Mai couldn't believe the human body was capable of such things. The two were as fluid as water and at times moved so fast they appeared as transparent as the air around them. It was the most beautiful example of human grace she had ever witnessed.

Mai resisted the urge to clap when they had finished their demonstration. She realized this type of enthusiastic display wasn't appropriate, and so she merely stood and bowed to Akira and Haruki like the other students.

The beginning students filed out of the room, and it was just the three of them. Turning to Mai, Akira asked her if she wouldn't mind performing a kata, so her skill level could be assessed. Mai blanched and realized it was now or never to tell the younger girl the truth of why she had come to the dojo.

"Uh Akira-san, I wonder if we might have a word in private before we continue any further. There is something I wish to discuss with you."

Feeling slightly confused, Akira assented and dismissed a smug-looking Haruki from the room. He assumed that the redhead had been intimidated by what she had just witnessed and felt like his earlier assessment of this stranger had been correct. The look on his face made Mai wince, and she resisted the urge to strangle the boy until he was no longer capable of such haughtiness.

Once Haruki left Mai continued, "Akira-san… I have confession to make." With a small quiver of nervousness in her voice, "It wasn't the desire to train at the Okuzaki dojo that brought me here, but rather the need to unite two lovers and fulfill a destiny."

"I'm a girl!" blurted out a beet red Akira.

"Nani...? I know you're a girl" Mai said, absolutely perplexed.

If possible, the young martial arts master turned even redder. "I'm not into that sort of thing. I like boys!"

Realization hit Mai, and without warning she burst out into uncontrolled laughter. She hadn't laughed this hard since she had woken up in this alternate world, and it felt so good to release the tension she had been feeling, that she found she couldn't stop.

"Baka! What's so funny?"

"Gomen, gomen Akira-san!" said Mai, as she wiped away the tears that had sprung from her eyes. "I obviously didn't make myself very clear, and I'm sure my earlier staring didn't help."

Looking upset and embarrassed, Akira pressed Mai to continue her story.

"Please, let's sit down. What I have to say will take a quite a few minutes, so we should try and make ourselves comfortable."

Realizing she didn't have that much time before it would be getting dark, Mai told Akira what she had shared with Takumi, though this time it was an abridged version. Through it all Akira sat without any emotion showing on her face, and Mai wasn't sure what to make of her reaction.

"So you see Akira-san, I need you to return with me. If you meet my brother, Takumi, I think everything will make more sense to you, and you'll be able – no, you will want to make the wish," Mai said with hope.

After several moments of silence, Akira spoke, "You've made a mistake Mai-san. Your plan assumes that I want to be "in love" and that my life is somehow unfulfilled as it is." Akira looked away and sighed, "Your talk of Hime is interesting as well, but I do not wish for that kind of power. It seems to me that you need to find a person for whom love overrides all else, or possibly an individual whose lust for power will make them believe in your story. I am not that person, I'm sorry."

Mai was flabbergasted. She couldn't believe that Akira had dismissed her so easily.

"Please! If you just meet him, I know that you'll understand! Here, look here! I brought a picture with me," Mai pulled a photo from her bag and attempted to shove the object into Akira's hands, but the younger girl refused to take or look at the photo.

Throwing the photo at the other girls face, Mai spat out, "Don't you have a heart!? By not even trying, you're condemning him to death!"

Hearing the commotion coming from the practice room, Haruki and several other students came barging in. "Senpai is everything all right?"

"Hai, no need to worry. Tokiha-san and I simply don't see eye to eye on a matter, and she'll need to be escorted off the premises."

In a state of panic, Mai tried again as the dojo students gently but firmly took Mai by the arms and pulled her toward the entry gate. "Please reconsider your decision! It's a matter of life or death! If you just allow me..."

"That's enough, Tokiha-san! Please leave." Akira said with finality, her arms crossed and eyes averted.

With that, Mai was shoved out of the entry and the doors to the gate were shut in her face. She stood there pounding on the gate and crying, until she noticed that the sunlight was beginning to fade. Feeling hopeless, Mai turned and made her way toward the footpath.

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Sitting and meditating in the garden, Akira felt a presence approach her. She opened her eyes to see Haruki staring at her with interest. "Sumimasen senpai, but I thought that you would like to know that the girl has finally left."

"Arigato, Haruki-san."

"She sure took the rejection hard. I don't think I've ever seen someone react so strongly for failing to become a student here," said the student. "In fact, when I left you I had assumed she was going to bow out on her own. Crying like that sure was a surprise."

Akira chose not to respond and merely closed her eyes, attempting to return to her meditative state.

Haruki took the hint. "Uh I'll leave you now, so you can concentrate. Oh, but don't stay out here too much longer - it's nearly dark and dinner will be served soon."

With those words Akira's eyes shot open. She saw Haruki's retreating form, and she was suddenly filled with worry for the strange redheaded girl. The foot path was dangerous at night.

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With a yelp of frustration, Mai fell down for the third time in 15 minutes. The path was so dark she couldn't see any of the roots and rocks that stuck out of the ground. On the way up they had been a blessing since they provided her with numerous foot holds, but now they were tripping her up. Tears came flowing out of her eyes, and she wanted to do nothing more than curl up and die. Thoughts of Takumi flashed through her head yet again, and she picked herself up. Her brother needed her, damn it!

After another near spill, Mai suddenly realized she was bathed in light. A lantern was hanging on a tree branch not 10 feet down the path. Without warning, another was lit an additional 30 feet down. Mai watched in awe as lanterns began to spark into life every 30 to 40 feet, along the rocky path. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, she quickly made her way down the now brightened footpath.

Before she knew it, Mai had reached the end of the woods, and she emerged onto the cobbled street of the town. Without looking back, the redhead took off at a jog to reach the bus station before the last bus back to Nagano left at 7pm. If she had turned around, she may have spotted Akira standing just inside the tree line holding an unlit lantern.

"I'm sorry, Tokiha-san..."

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Omake:

Natsuki: Hey "author", I thought you said Shizuru and I would be in this chapter.

Kuma Kuma: I said no such thing! I merely agreed with Shizuru that you two would be back sooner than I expected. Looking around with a little fear Uh, so where is Shizuru?

Natsuki: Blushing red Oh...ah…she's....tired. Yeah, she's tired.

Kuma Kuma: Laughing See? I told you that you two could get it on without me writing about it. How'd you like the whip?

Nastuki: Baka!

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For those of you that may have noticed, yes, I did name the two dojo students after Haruki Murakami the author. If you haven't read any of his books, I suggest you check them out.