Hello again!

Sorry it took me awhile to post this next one, just wanted the first chapter to sink in a bit. I hope you enjoyed the last one!

Alrighty, now we move onto Saizo and Mozu. This one is a bit different, mainly because in my first actual playthrough, I accidentally let Kaze die x.x Now what makes this interesting is...well, you'll have to read it in order to find out!

WARNING: Foul language ahead.

Saizo Mozu

2 Days after Coronation

Location: Dragon Temple (Hoshido's Main HQ)

Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Loyalty…and Honor. These are the seven blessings that apply to the fortitude of Bushido. In terms, it is a code that all Hoshidans follow in order to pursue a life of tranquility and retribution. In the days that follow for my brother Kaze and I, it was nothing new to us. Our father was a sensei who knew how to derive fear into those who followed him, but it was this fear alone that was our driving source of survival in the instincts of detection and murder. Without fail, our missions were a success because of this fear that grew inside us. Never in a time were my instincts dull and ignorant to anything and everything around me; a chance that someone was listening to us always existed, and whomever it may be will be gutted down like a fish, filleted into a meal edible only to the wolves that roam our mountains.

Though the war has ended, my mission continues. Lord Ryoma insisted that our small group stay for the next seven days to interact with one another. However, after visiting my brother's statue one last time will it be that I disappear without a trace of evidence to conclude I even existed in history. The sun's beautiful rays were blanketed with thick, gray clouds, a sign that the gods will be shedding their tears very soon upon my brother as they accept him into the heavens. In the meditating stance, I sit in front of his statue and close my eyes, yielding to the memories that would continuously pour into my thick yet broken skull. The first of such is when we were born. Our mother was instantaneously slaughtered after birth by an unknown individual, and it was that very moment our father came to our rescue and guided us into the life of the Saizo. Since we were children, we overcame many brutal and hellish tasks to learn about survival through our niche, scouting areas without the will of falling into slumber. The two of us embraced days on end of nothing but torture, enduring situations that ordinary human beings would never have survived under. To some, my brother and I were demons that thrived upon survival and killing…but in truth we're human beings who could do anything others couldn't. My memories soon came to a halt when a woman in rags made her presence known to me; black hair wrapped up into two side ponytails, aided with a pair of black roses on each side of her head. The freckled woman placed herself onto the ground in knees, praying silently to herself but teary without fail. Her whimpers suddenly took notice to my right ear, keeping my eyes closed and continuing to observe my moment of silence with my brother. It didn't take long for the woman to make her personal prayer known.

"Kaze…," she began, "I'm…I'm here again. I wanted to tell you how much I love and missed seeing your wonderful smile." My eyes were still closed, but my ears were listening. "I recall the days you taught me…how to become a braver soul than I could ever have been through the art of simply peeling potatoes. I admit it appeared absurd at first…but…as I continued to peel, I could see how this was a regimen that became part of your training." She suddenly giggled. "I remember how we both used to have a contest on who could peel potatoes the fastest. I outdid the master in the end, but no matter the victory, I always…felt like a coward on the battlefield. If it wasn't for you, I would've never became a Master of Arms. Imagine that…a weed like me, fearful for its own life as a scythe draws near, then suddenly, transforms into a steel flower breaking it in half. And it was all thanks to you Kaze…if only I knew you were going to sacrifice yourself for Lord Dyru…I would've happily taken your place…so you can live another fruitful day…"

"Perhaps it was Lord Dyru who should've died that day." At these words I uttered, the woman suddenly stood up and faced her brother-in-law.

"…Excuse me?"

"You heard me," I spoke again, "If it wasn't for Dyru's carelessness my brother would still be alive today. You admit compromising to this statement by saying you would take his place. Do you not?" The woman suddenly walked towards me, forcing myself to stand and meet her face to face. The woman before me was Mozu…

"I would never compromise to such poor choice of words," she told me, "It is unfortunate my husband passed away for Dyru's safety, but if he didn't do that, then Hoshido would become the new Nohr." I scoffed at her words.

"Even if Nohrians are scum," I argued, "I would much rather embrace their darkness than Dyru's light."

"What an awful thing to say about our leader," she retorted, "Dyru is a great man! He gave his life to save this country at the cost of his Nohrian brother and sister. How could you say such terrible things about him?!"

"A man would never let his emotions get the best of him," I argued once again, "If he cared so much about them he wouldn't have let them die in the first place, just like my brother." I could see Mozu getting fired up.

"Th-That doesn't matter Saizo!" she exclaimed, "The fact is Kaze gave his life for a cause that not even you or I could ever achieve alone! If not for that then again, I argue the alternate future of our country!" She was getting under my skin…I had to defend him.

"So you, a trophy wife of my brother, would agree that it was him alone that should bear the pain and suffering of not being able to live another day?!"

"How do you think I feel about this situation Oh-Great-Saizo?!" she started screaming, "You think I enjoy the rest of my days being a widow?!"

"Evidently you must, considering that every male villager with a bone speaks about you in such lecherous ways." Her jaw gaped open at my harsh choice of words, and I didn't care. Not anymore.

"I HAVE NEVER AND WILL EVER TAKE THE SEED OF ANOTHER MAN THAT IS NOT KAZE!" she screamed, "How DARE you speak so low of me you third-rate slug!" she continued on. "And you call yourself his brother…you are NOTHING compared to Kaze, you will NEVER be Kaze! He is what a true Saizo should be-no-he IS his own identity, farther from being the monster you are you…you b-bastard!"

"What the fuck do you know about my brother that I don't you selfish sadness-loathing harlot?" I questioned in my darkest tone, "He is my twin for god's sake! There is not a piece of information he never confides me with!" Mozu gave me a chilling glare…

"So you think," she argued, "Kaze didn't tell you everything, in fact, he didn't even tell you details about Dyru's kidnapping like he told me!" My eye widened at her words. "He didn't tell you how sorrowful he felt when you both lost your father to that man in Mokushu, because he was AFRAID of you Saizo! He was terrified of knowing why you were such a monster on the battlefield, slaughtering more and more lives even when we were victorious! You THRIVE on drowning yourself in their crimson essence Saizo, and you call yourself his brother?!"

"DON'T YOU EVER UTTER HOW YOU THINK MY WAY OF LIFE IS RAN YOU STUCK UP PRECIOUS LITTLE BITCH!" I screamed in rage.

"Make me!" she taunted back, "You think you know everything there is to know about his life just because you were his brother, but you can't accept the inevitable truth! You defile everything there is to know about Bushido, and I'm not even part of such a code myself! You have no courage, you have no respect, you have ZERO honor! He loved you with all of his heart despite this and even when he was close to his death bed you yourself were NOWHERE to be found to save him!" She stood in my face as my shuriken was at the ready. "Even when your father died Kaze confided to me in tears how much he wanted to share that burden you received on your left eye because he could never be there for you to prevent you from becoming blind! But instead you kept pushing him away like he was a useless ragdoll acting all high and mighty and…and BULLISH!" Her nose almost touched mine at this point, the woman calming her voice down a little more. "And I know why you acted in such a way Saizo…because you were running away from the truth like a wounded animal with his tail between his hind legs. Unlike you, I, an inexperienced villager, had to battle my way through those who were trained to kill because they were a threat to my family…and I had to learn how to defend them rather than just stand around and be a farm girl…"

"A farm girl…," I started, "That's all you will ever be; a useless, good-for-nothing farm girl who runs away like a little mouse. Let me ask you this: how's your little girl you never go see? The little girl who will live for the rest of her life without her father because her mother was too pathetic and weak to protect him? I recall that he was the only one who knew where her Deeprealm was, yet you only saw her once when she was a baby while Kaze would run back and forth every day he could to care for her. But not you, you stayed behind and took care of a group of soldiers who ended up dying the very next day, well worth it when they couldn't even fucking stand and hoist their weapons in arms ISN'T IT MOZU?!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY DAUGHTER! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO EVEN UTTER HER NAME WHEN YOU COULD JUST AS WELL PREVENTED HIS DEATH YOU…YOU MONSTER!" Her tears were rolling from her eyes, a waterfall forming from them. "I had no choice but to do what was best for the army so Dyru could lead his forces into Nohr!"

"Dyru this, Dyru that! You worship him like he's a fucking god when he deserves absolutely NO praise! He is Nohrian scum just like the rest, I should've known to leave the Dragon Temple the moment Lord Ryoma made him the commander. If I had taken my brother with me he would've-"

"Would've what?!" she exclaimed, "You think he would've been better in your hands?! He would've became a monster just like you!"

"A monster that he confides in better than to hide from," I affirmed, "I challenge you Mozu, if you know something that I don't, then name it and I'll concede defeat!" Little did I know this was going to be a losing battle…

"Then I'll dish out the finishing blow that will put an end to your ego…," she commented with a glare, "Kaze was once part of Nohr." My eye widened at her words…something that I chose not to believe.

"You're a terrible liar," I responded, "He was a prisoner at Nohr, and it was Dyru who saved him from his execution." She closed her eyes…

"You poor, damned fool…," she retorted, "Kaze is the one that kidnapped Dyru when he was a baby and placed him in that tower until he was old enough to walk out. King Garon was the one who killed Ryoma's father, and upon destroying their city, Kaze took his chance in taking Dyru back to Krakenburg. When he questioned his leadership, he and Rinkah were punished with a death sentence that Dyru was ordered to carry out. However, he failed due to his kind nature and willingness to not take their lives that very moment…" She opened them, glaring at me still. "The fact that you knew nothing of where Kaze's loyalty lied is pure evidence of your ignorance, yet because he was not afraid of me was I able to come upon this information. You can ask Ryoma, or even Sakura. How about Subaki, Dyru's best friend? He could vouch for him! I could spend all day trying to drill the truth into your thick-headed fake-bushido-like skull in order to make you realize the truth about him, but knowing you, you will never lend the one eye you have left to look for the light. Because you will only believe in what you want, and never listen to anybody else!" The little girl turned to face the statue of the man she loved dearly, falling to her knees and balling her eyes out. "He will never get to see his daughter…I will never get to see my daughter…our family…it's broken for all eternity…and there is nothing that can save it…"

I was…stunned at her words. The farm girl knew more about me than I even knew about myself, or perhaps it was just my ignorance hiding it in a veil that I believed was to never be seen by anyone who would dare try to make me vulnerable. I always carried the burden of never being able to finish off the assassin who killed our father, but to believe Kaze wanted a share of that burden because he never knew…was beyond even my imagination. The more time I spent with this girl who I deemed a harlot, the more I began to realize how much the two of us had in common. Our lives were filled with regret, remorse, and turmoil, and it was all linked to the fact that neither of us were there for Kaze when he gave his life for Dyru that fateful night. Placing my shuriken in my sash, I walked over to Mozu and sat next to her, hearing her weeping over the death of my brother who really cared for us. Just when I thought that nightmare was over…

"…Excuse me…" Quickly, the two of us faced the direction of the innocent voice we overheard. It was a little girl, black hair in the same hairstyle as Mozu's, dressed in only a tunic, shorts, and an apothecary case. It was here that the gods had finally began their downpour, sorrow had filled their many eyes. "I'm…looking for my father…Kaze is his name. Have you both…seen him?"

O.o well...that took a very interesting turn didn't it?

This one was a little different I think. What I really liked about these two is that their stories are entirely different from one another, yet, as a brother and sister in law, they both learn that they will have to get along no matter what the circumstances. Just be sure not to bring up "Dyru" x.x

Anywho, I know a lot of people will disagree with me when I mention this, but I feel that Kaze dying seemed to be more emotional and canon to the story versus when he DOESN'T, simply because it seems to show more character to the bland list of characters Birthright has. The coolest thing about being a writer? Showing those how to formulate and bring a character to life as its own individual person :3

In any case, leave your review below if you wish!