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Chapter Four: The Hearing
A/N: Hello! Just so you know, I used google translate for the word Kīpā. Hopefully it means 'Keepers' in Japenese. If it doesn't, I'll gladly take the correct translation. Also, I made up any places mentioned in here. If they're real that's just a coincidence. So, read on and enjoy!
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost
Tiara glanced at Antonio and smiled. "You look nervous."
"Can you blame me?" Antonio asked her. I'm going to be meeting the people who basically invented the bylaws all samurai have to follow."
"You have no reason to be nervous," Lauren said looking back at him from the front seat. "There's no way this can go wrong."
"I wouldn't go that far," Tiara muttered. Granted she'd only met these people once, when she was adopted back into the Shiba Clan. And once had been enough as far as she was concerned. None the less, she put on a brave face and gave Antonio's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Antonio smiled in gratitude. He wished Jayden had been able to ride with them. It felt even worse not to have his best amigo there by his side. It's ok, he tried to assure himself. Just look confident, and you can do anything. Just like always.
-Samurai Ranger Life-
As they pulled up to the building, Antonio felt his heart rate drop. They were in a large, U-shaped, gravel driveway, stopping right behind the SUV that Jayden and Ji were in. He saw people coming and opening the doors, bowing to Lauren and Tiara as they did. The girls got out, and he followed. Lauren stayed close and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
They were facing an impressive building that honestly looked like a temple. It was only half the size of the Shiba House, or the Tengen Gate, but the large columns in the front, and tall doorway were enough to intimidate Antonio. He wasn't usually scared, but when it came to something as important as being a samurai, he was terrified.
Jayden nodded in encouragement. "You'll be fine," he said. "Come on."
Antonio walked behind Jayden and Lauren, next to Tiara. Ji walked beside the two of them, giving Antonio a nod. He had no doubt that the Kīpā, as some people, mostly the Tengen Gate garudians, liked to call them, would have to be stupid to deny Jayden and Lauren's request.
As they entered to building, they were led down a hall into the room where the Kīpā would be seeing them. The room had cousins against the back wall, off to their right, where spectators could sit. Facing the wall, was a long table with a place for seven people. Antonio followed the others to the back and sat down with his legs crossed. Only fifteen yards away, the Kīpā sat.
They were seven people, all dressed in plain kimonos, with the Shiba crest on them. Lauren and Jayden looked at each other, then got up and approached the table. As they did the seven, four men and four women, stood in unison. They bowed to the two samurai.
"Lady Lauren, Lord Jayden, it is an honor to see you both."
Jayden and Lauren returned the gesture. "Thank you, Mr. Ryes," Lauren responded.
The seven sat down and the man in the middle, most likely the one in charge, Mr. Ryes, spoke again. "What is the nature of your visit?"
"We would like to request a samurai title," Jayden began. "In our fight with the nighlocks we were aided, by a surprise visitor, and my childhood friend, Antonio Garcia. Antonio showed up out of the blue, but proved himself to be a most effective samurai. It is our belief, as the heads of the Shiba Clan, that he be granted the honorary title, samurai, and that his family name be made an official vassal of the Shiba Clan."
Lauren studied their expressions intently, looking for any clues on what they might be thinking. Unfortunately they were better at hiding their emotions than the two former red rangers in front of them. She and Jayden waited for a couple minutes to see what would happen.
Mr. Reyes nodded as he finished conversing with the woman next to him, who a passed a message on to the next person. The message eventually made it to the people on the ends, who nodded. "We would like to speak with Mr. Garcia ourselves."
Jayden nodded as he and Lauren walked back to the sitting area. Antonio got up as they approached. Jayden gave him a smile and nodded. "You can do it," he whispered.
Antonio nodded his thanks and held his head high as he approached the seven in front of him. He bowed like Lauren and Jayden had; earning him a nod in return. He stood still waiting for them to talk first.
Mr. Reyes sat forward on his elbows and peered at Antonio carefully. "Please tell us your name."
"Excuse me?" Antonio asked, suddenly unsure. He was pretty sure Lauren and Jayden had just said it.
"I would like you to state your full name, as well as your parents' full names."
Antonio nodded in understanding. "Yes sir. My name is Antonio Carlos Ricardo Garcia. My father's name was Aáron Roberto Julio Garcia. My mother's name was Anna-Maria Rosetta Garcia. Her maiden name before she was married was Montoya."
"Where is your family from?" A woman with blonde hair on the end asked him.
"I was born in Pueblo Andreas in Mexico. My father was from Dracos, Costa Rica. My mother is from San Juilo, Mexico."
"How did you come to live in America?" another man asked.
"When I was four, my village, Pueblo Andreas, was destroyed in flood waters from a tropical storm. My mother was killed in the flood, and my father and I moved to America a little under a year after."
"So, you're fluent in Spanish, and English? Do you speak any Japanese?"
"Yes sir, I am bilingual in Spanish and English. And no, I don't speak Japanese."
"What is it your parents did for work?" another woman asked.
"My father was a fisherman, as was his father before him. And he before him. My mother worked as a field hand on a farm about five miles from our home. She also came from a family of fishermen."
"How many generations of your family have been fishermen?" Mr. Reyes asked.
"Longer than anyone can remember. It's a traditional profession."
"So, am I to understand that you possess no samurai heritage of any kind? Nor do you have any chance that you do?"
Antonio nodded nervously. "Yes sir."
"How then, did you come to be a samurai ranger?" The first woman asked in astonishment.
"I am self taught ma'am. After I met Jayden as a kid, I wanted to be a samurai. When I moved away, I kept training. I ran miles before school, and after school. I trained alone in the woods for hours everyday. Eventually I crafted and perfected my own special technique of fighting. On my travels I built a samurai morpher."
He waited while the group of adults conversed once more. They whispered intently as they came to a decision. Mr. Reyes looked at Antonio when they finished, scrutinizing him once more "I believe we have all the information we need based on your replies. Lady Lauren, Lord Jayden, if would please?"
Jayden and Lauren got up and stood on ether side of Antonio. "What is your decision?" Jayden asked. "Antonio made very significant contributions to the war."
"We are well aware, Lord Jayden," Mr. Reyes nodded. "And we have made our decision. It is our opinion, as keepers of the samurai heritage and traditions, that Mr. Garcia does not deserve the title samurai."
"What?!" Ji and Tiara asked at the same time. Their outburst earned them a look from the Kīpā, but they didn't care.
"Excuse me?" Lauren asked, not sure she'd heard right.
"Mr. Garcia is no more than an add-on to the true ranger team," Mr. Reyes explained calmly. "He's not a real samurai. He is not a samurai descendant of any kind. This as well as his 'self taught' technique shows blatant disregard for samurai traditions."
"But-" Jayden tried to interrupt.
"I'm sorry Lord Jayden. But Mr. Garcia does not have the noble blood line required of a samurai. He is, in every sense of the word, a peasant. That is our final decision."
It took every ounce of self control Jayden had to not throttle them all. They had no right to talk about Antonio like that. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Very well."
The Kīpā nodded and stood. "It was good to see you, Lady Lauren and Lord Jayden," Mr. Reyes said. He turned to an attendant. "Please accompany the samurai, Ji, and their fisherman out." The seven bowed and left the room through a side door on the other side of the table.
The attendants came over, bowing to Lauren and Jayden, then lead them out. Ji and Tiara hurried to catch up as they left. As soon as they were outside the building Tiara lost it. "They are a bunch of pompous asses."
Instead of scolding her, Ji nodded his head. "Yes. They are."
"They need to get the stick out of their asses and see that we have a perfectly good samurai."
"This isn't over," Jayden said.
"Didn't you say there were two sets of Kīpā?" Tiara asked, curiously.
Jayden nodded. "In Japan. But we aren't traveling across the pacific to listen to them call Antonio a peasant."
"Easy with the 'P' word," Lauren advised. "If one more person calls him that, I'll throw them down the closest well."
"Good thing there's no well here," Ji muttered.
"Then I'll build one. God, they're so-"
"Stupid? Moronic? Ignorant? Revolting?" Tiara supplied. "I nailed my SATs, I got plenty of words for you."
"I'll pick, all of the above," Jayden retorted. He balled his fists as he walked. "I shouldn't have just stood there and let them slander Antonio's name like that."
"Hitting them wouldn't have changes their minds," Ji warned him.
"I still should've said something." As they reached the cars, the doors were opened for them. Jayden turned and looked at Antonio who hadn't said a word since the Kīpā had shattered his dreams. "Don't worry Antonio, we won't give up. We'll do everything we can."
"I'll talk to Daisuke," Ji said. "Maybe the guardians know something that can help us."
"We'll do whatever it takes," Lauren said putting her hand on his arm. "We won't let them do this."
Antonio nodded and faked a smile that seemed to fool them. As they got in the SUVs he sat silently, staring out the window. When they got back to the Shiba House he went to his room, claiming he was tired. He shut the door and sat on his bed. The words that Mr. Reyes had said were ringing in his head. "Mr. Garcia does not have the noble blood line required of a samurai. He is, in every sense of the word, a peasant."
Antonio put his head back on the wall and wrapped his arms around his middle as hot tears ran down his face. As he sat in the silence he could still feel the moment, when his dream was sliced through with a sword.
