Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Color of Blood ❯ Vengeance ( Chapter 4 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Saiyazon 
Takara's peaceful life has been shattered, what now?
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.03.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 136 | Status: Completed
Takara's peaceful life has been shattered, what now?
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Romance / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.03.2005 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 136 | Status: Completed
Chapter 4 Vengeance
Masuyo stood at the front, his old bow staff in hand. Behind him the older boys formed a staggered line of defense. Kazuki and Takara were the last line of defense for the villagers huddled behind them. Takara stood gripping the bokken tightly; her bow and quiver crisscrossing her back as well. Her eyes fixed in a forward stare. All her rage focused and ready to fire. Kazuki stood fidgeting nervously his hands opening and closing around Masuyo sensei’s short staff.
From outside came a loud din as the bandits made themselves known with the sound of breaking buildings. All were silent. Masuyo heard their footsteps approach the porch; he threw himself back as the door flew off its rail. As if in an instant all hell broke loose. Wood clashed against steel. Weapons of all kinds swung through the air. Grunts and moans of pain filled the air loudly. Kazuki and Takara were pushed back until they were inches away from the back door. None of the bandits seemed to notice the short duo.
Hidei knocked one of the bandits to the ground and turned to look at them. He looked around the room and knew there was no way they could win. He spun around and yelled to them. “Get out of here!”
Kazuki looked around franticly and Takara stood frozen in terror just shaking her head. A bandit came at them with a knife, but Masuyo sensei blocked it with his own body.
“No!” They both screamed as they watched their beloved teacher crumble to the floor. Hidei ran to his aid. He fended off many attackers before he became overwhelmed. Takara stared as all her fellow students fell in a sea of blood. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. All was slow motion, black and white.
“Go now!” Hidei screamed. Kazuki grabbed Takara by the arm and dragged her out the back. Once they exited the dojo Takara regained her mind and they began to run full speed through the fields. They would be safe if they could just reach the deep forest on the other side.
Unfortunately four bandits had seen them flee and were pursuing them. The two could run no faster it seemed, as they stumbled through the field. The bandits were gaining fast. Kazuki lost his footing and collapsed. Takara stopped a few feet ahead of him. She spun around and was about to head back and help him up. “No, keep running!” Kazuki shouted.
“What about you?” Takara asked.
“I’ll catch up with you, just keep going!”
Takara hesitated before she turned and ran for the forest. Kazuki stood up just as the bandits came upon him. He turned on them staff gripped tightly in his hand. They laughed at him. He stared at the ground for a moment. “I won’t let you get away with what you’ve done!” He shouted before charging them. He swung at them with all his might. He hit them once or twice. They were big enough targets, but he was no weapons master.
Takara was almost to the forest when she looked back over her shoulder for Kazuki. She stopped short when she saw the bandits had caught up with him. She stared for a moment. Kazuki swung his staff at them and one of the bandits brought out a dagger and stabbed him in the back with it. Her eyes enlarged and she screamed, “No!” He fell limp on the ground. His eyes open and his face in the dirt.
Takara’s breathing became heavy. The murderers laughed heartily at their deed. They were laughing. Takara felt her stomach turn and her anger rise. She gripped her bokken and ran at them. She ran so fast and hard she reached them in no time. “You bastards!” She screamed as she swung her weapon and smashed one of the unsuspecting killers in the face. He grunted and stumbled back. Another on grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. The bokken hit him on the spin before it fell from her grasp. It hit the ground and the man let go of Takara. She began using her fists and legs to pummel the man in the best way she knew, Kempo. She had him on the ground before the two others plucked her up and threw her down. One held her arms above her head as he looked down at her. He smirked evilly. “You’re a feisty little vixen.” He spoke slimily. “I wonder if you taste good.”
Takara growled at him in utter disgust. The filthy man grabbed the waist of her gi and pulled on it. He began to slide his hand down inside her pants. A fit of panic fell over Takara. She struggled hysterically. Her bokken was right next to her, if only she could get to it. In a last desperate resort she raised her knees up and kicked the perverted bandit in the groin. He grimaced and loosened his grip just enough for her to kick him off. She rolled over and grabbed her bokken, she grabbed it at either end and drove it broad side into her attacker’s face.
She did so with such force the hilt seemed to separate from the rest. Much to her surprise the wooden exterior fell away to reveal a thin blade of shining steel. She stared for a moment in awe. ‘A sword within a sword.’ She thought. The last man was coming up behind her, without any hesitation she swung the blade around and sliced the man in half. He fell to the ground in a pool of blood. It seemed like a dream to Takara. She stared down at her katana. It was covered in a thick dark liquid. She did nothing, but stare for a moment before the three wounded men came at her. Without a second thought and skill she never knew she possessed she killed all three of them. They fell in quick succession around her like dominos. Her anger seemed to extend through the sword into their bodies.
This time when she finished her slaughter she looked at the lifeless body of Kazuki. She clumsily shoved the katana back into its wooden case and ran to his side. She knelt next to him and touched his cheek. He stared off at nothing, eyes fixed on empty space. Blood stuck to his gi. She closed his eyes and whispered, ‘Gomennasai my friend.’ She wanted to cry, but her sorrow was short lived as at that very moment the leader of the bandits walked out of the annihilated dojo.
“You!” He shouted. Takara instantly fled. Her feet seemed to fly as she sped across the field and into the deep forest. She didn’t stop, didn’t look back. She continued to run long into the day. Whenever she stumbled over a branch or rock she would just continue running. She ran until night began to fall. The sun was little more than a sliver at her back. She slowed down, finally, exhaustion was overwhelming her and her breath came in short gasps. She dropped to her knees.
When she stopped all the emotion seemed to catch up to her and something snapped inside her. All her; rage, hate, fear, sadness, and despair boiled over and she broke out into sobs and wails. She lay on the ground sobbing until exhaustion consumed her and she fell asleep.
The next morning she awoke and glanced around. She had no idea where she was. The growl of her stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten in two days. Not wanting to remember the past few days she wearily stood up to find something to eat. Her body was still weak from all the running and fighting, but she stumbled around looking for edible plants. She stopped for a moment when she heard the sound of trickling water. She followed it to an oasis of sorts. It was a stream trickling off into a small pond in an uninhabited clearing. She glanced around to be sure she was alone.
She strode over to the pond and flopped down. She threw her weapons aside as they were becoming heavy in her exhaustion. She threw the cold water on her face and began to greedily drink it. She stopped when she saw her reflection in the water. Her face was very different from the last time she had looked at herself. Her eyes were red from crying and her face was slightly dirty, but the big difference was the shine of her eyes. They seemed to have dimmed.
She looked down at her hands they were covered in dark smears of a foreign substance. She thrust them into the water and began to scrub them furiously. She washed the smears away, but continued to scrub. “It’s no use.” She said helplessly. She caught a glimpse of her weapons and picked up the concealed katana. She unsheathed it and stared at the dirty blade. She tore a piece of cloth from the bottom of her gi and dipped it in the water. She washed the blade, until it was clean again. Then she returned it to its sheath.
She looked around and sighed. She caught sight of a rock with an overhang nearby in the clearing. She walked over and laid the sword and her quiver beneath it. She began to set up camp. She wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the wilderness.
After camp was set, she went hunting with her arrows. With her superior archery skills she was able to kill a more than filling meal and find some edible plants too. She made a fire and cooked the meat. While it cooked she did her best to clean her tattered gi and herself.
That night she sat in the dark, with only the light of the fire to see by, she sat under the overhang enjoying her meal. She had kept herself busy all day so as not to think of her situation. Now with nothing left to keep her occupied her mind turned over all the events of the past few days. She shed a silent tear or two every time she thought of her loved ones, but she had no tear to shed for the men she killed, only anger.
Her eyes fell on the concealed katana at her side. She pulled it out a little and stared at the gleaming metal. She stared for a long time. She pulled the katana all the way out and held it, pointing at her stomach. In her mind she had nothing to live for. All it would take was one stab to end her pain. Before she could do it something stopped her. A twinge of hope tickled the back of her mind. She re sheathed the sword with a shaking hand.
She pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head against them. She thought for what seemed a long time. She thought of what she was going to do and what she had done. ‘Everyone’s gone. What do I have to live for?’
The fire slowly began to die down. As it did she stared at the embers. That’s when it came to her. She took one of the arrow heads out of her quiver and heated it in the fire. Once it was red hot she rolled up her sleeve. She took the arrow head and trailed it along the skin of her arm four times. One for each of the men she had killed. The heat left four thin cuts that quickly healed and left four scars. She took out her katana and shoved it into the ground and knelt before it. She looked up at the sky as if the stars were to listen to her oath.
“I swear from this day forth I will do whatever it takes to protect the innocence of Japan. I will not quit until all the evil is wiped from the face of this nation. Whatever it takes!” She said with an edge.
She put the sword away and lay down to watch the fire burn out. As she watched the sparks disintegrate she whispered. “I will keep training myself. I will avenge my loved ones. I swear it!”
What do you think of the descriptions?
Converting /tmp/phpbtEf9Y to /dev/stdout
Masuyo stood at the front, his old bow staff in hand. Behind him the older boys formed a staggered line of defense. Kazuki and Takara were the last line of defense for the villagers huddled behind them. Takara stood gripping the bokken tightly; her bow and quiver crisscrossing her back as well. Her eyes fixed in a forward stare. All her rage focused and ready to fire. Kazuki stood fidgeting nervously his hands opening and closing around Masuyo sensei’s short staff.
From outside came a loud din as the bandits made themselves known with the sound of breaking buildings. All were silent. Masuyo heard their footsteps approach the porch; he threw himself back as the door flew off its rail. As if in an instant all hell broke loose. Wood clashed against steel. Weapons of all kinds swung through the air. Grunts and moans of pain filled the air loudly. Kazuki and Takara were pushed back until they were inches away from the back door. None of the bandits seemed to notice the short duo.
Hidei knocked one of the bandits to the ground and turned to look at them. He looked around the room and knew there was no way they could win. He spun around and yelled to them. “Get out of here!”
Kazuki looked around franticly and Takara stood frozen in terror just shaking her head. A bandit came at them with a knife, but Masuyo sensei blocked it with his own body.
“No!” They both screamed as they watched their beloved teacher crumble to the floor. Hidei ran to his aid. He fended off many attackers before he became overwhelmed. Takara stared as all her fellow students fell in a sea of blood. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. All was slow motion, black and white.
“Go now!” Hidei screamed. Kazuki grabbed Takara by the arm and dragged her out the back. Once they exited the dojo Takara regained her mind and they began to run full speed through the fields. They would be safe if they could just reach the deep forest on the other side.
Unfortunately four bandits had seen them flee and were pursuing them. The two could run no faster it seemed, as they stumbled through the field. The bandits were gaining fast. Kazuki lost his footing and collapsed. Takara stopped a few feet ahead of him. She spun around and was about to head back and help him up. “No, keep running!” Kazuki shouted.
“What about you?” Takara asked.
“I’ll catch up with you, just keep going!”
Takara hesitated before she turned and ran for the forest. Kazuki stood up just as the bandits came upon him. He turned on them staff gripped tightly in his hand. They laughed at him. He stared at the ground for a moment. “I won’t let you get away with what you’ve done!” He shouted before charging them. He swung at them with all his might. He hit them once or twice. They were big enough targets, but he was no weapons master.
Takara was almost to the forest when she looked back over her shoulder for Kazuki. She stopped short when she saw the bandits had caught up with him. She stared for a moment. Kazuki swung his staff at them and one of the bandits brought out a dagger and stabbed him in the back with it. Her eyes enlarged and she screamed, “No!” He fell limp on the ground. His eyes open and his face in the dirt.
Takara’s breathing became heavy. The murderers laughed heartily at their deed. They were laughing. Takara felt her stomach turn and her anger rise. She gripped her bokken and ran at them. She ran so fast and hard she reached them in no time. “You bastards!” She screamed as she swung her weapon and smashed one of the unsuspecting killers in the face. He grunted and stumbled back. Another on grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. The bokken hit him on the spin before it fell from her grasp. It hit the ground and the man let go of Takara. She began using her fists and legs to pummel the man in the best way she knew, Kempo. She had him on the ground before the two others plucked her up and threw her down. One held her arms above her head as he looked down at her. He smirked evilly. “You’re a feisty little vixen.” He spoke slimily. “I wonder if you taste good.”
Takara growled at him in utter disgust. The filthy man grabbed the waist of her gi and pulled on it. He began to slide his hand down inside her pants. A fit of panic fell over Takara. She struggled hysterically. Her bokken was right next to her, if only she could get to it. In a last desperate resort she raised her knees up and kicked the perverted bandit in the groin. He grimaced and loosened his grip just enough for her to kick him off. She rolled over and grabbed her bokken, she grabbed it at either end and drove it broad side into her attacker’s face.
She did so with such force the hilt seemed to separate from the rest. Much to her surprise the wooden exterior fell away to reveal a thin blade of shining steel. She stared for a moment in awe. ‘A sword within a sword.’ She thought. The last man was coming up behind her, without any hesitation she swung the blade around and sliced the man in half. He fell to the ground in a pool of blood. It seemed like a dream to Takara. She stared down at her katana. It was covered in a thick dark liquid. She did nothing, but stare for a moment before the three wounded men came at her. Without a second thought and skill she never knew she possessed she killed all three of them. They fell in quick succession around her like dominos. Her anger seemed to extend through the sword into their bodies.
This time when she finished her slaughter she looked at the lifeless body of Kazuki. She clumsily shoved the katana back into its wooden case and ran to his side. She knelt next to him and touched his cheek. He stared off at nothing, eyes fixed on empty space. Blood stuck to his gi. She closed his eyes and whispered, ‘Gomennasai my friend.’ She wanted to cry, but her sorrow was short lived as at that very moment the leader of the bandits walked out of the annihilated dojo.
“You!” He shouted. Takara instantly fled. Her feet seemed to fly as she sped across the field and into the deep forest. She didn’t stop, didn’t look back. She continued to run long into the day. Whenever she stumbled over a branch or rock she would just continue running. She ran until night began to fall. The sun was little more than a sliver at her back. She slowed down, finally, exhaustion was overwhelming her and her breath came in short gasps. She dropped to her knees.
When she stopped all the emotion seemed to catch up to her and something snapped inside her. All her; rage, hate, fear, sadness, and despair boiled over and she broke out into sobs and wails. She lay on the ground sobbing until exhaustion consumed her and she fell asleep.
The next morning she awoke and glanced around. She had no idea where she was. The growl of her stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten in two days. Not wanting to remember the past few days she wearily stood up to find something to eat. Her body was still weak from all the running and fighting, but she stumbled around looking for edible plants. She stopped for a moment when she heard the sound of trickling water. She followed it to an oasis of sorts. It was a stream trickling off into a small pond in an uninhabited clearing. She glanced around to be sure she was alone.
She strode over to the pond and flopped down. She threw her weapons aside as they were becoming heavy in her exhaustion. She threw the cold water on her face and began to greedily drink it. She stopped when she saw her reflection in the water. Her face was very different from the last time she had looked at herself. Her eyes were red from crying and her face was slightly dirty, but the big difference was the shine of her eyes. They seemed to have dimmed.
She looked down at her hands they were covered in dark smears of a foreign substance. She thrust them into the water and began to scrub them furiously. She washed the smears away, but continued to scrub. “It’s no use.” She said helplessly. She caught a glimpse of her weapons and picked up the concealed katana. She unsheathed it and stared at the dirty blade. She tore a piece of cloth from the bottom of her gi and dipped it in the water. She washed the blade, until it was clean again. Then she returned it to its sheath.
She looked around and sighed. She caught sight of a rock with an overhang nearby in the clearing. She walked over and laid the sword and her quiver beneath it. She began to set up camp. She wasn’t completely ignorant of the ways of the wilderness.
After camp was set, she went hunting with her arrows. With her superior archery skills she was able to kill a more than filling meal and find some edible plants too. She made a fire and cooked the meat. While it cooked she did her best to clean her tattered gi and herself.
That night she sat in the dark, with only the light of the fire to see by, she sat under the overhang enjoying her meal. She had kept herself busy all day so as not to think of her situation. Now with nothing left to keep her occupied her mind turned over all the events of the past few days. She shed a silent tear or two every time she thought of her loved ones, but she had no tear to shed for the men she killed, only anger.
Her eyes fell on the concealed katana at her side. She pulled it out a little and stared at the gleaming metal. She stared for a long time. She pulled the katana all the way out and held it, pointing at her stomach. In her mind she had nothing to live for. All it would take was one stab to end her pain. Before she could do it something stopped her. A twinge of hope tickled the back of her mind. She re sheathed the sword with a shaking hand.
She pulled her knees to her chest and laid her head against them. She thought for what seemed a long time. She thought of what she was going to do and what she had done. ‘Everyone’s gone. What do I have to live for?’
The fire slowly began to die down. As it did she stared at the embers. That’s when it came to her. She took one of the arrow heads out of her quiver and heated it in the fire. Once it was red hot she rolled up her sleeve. She took the arrow head and trailed it along the skin of her arm four times. One for each of the men she had killed. The heat left four thin cuts that quickly healed and left four scars. She took out her katana and shoved it into the ground and knelt before it. She looked up at the sky as if the stars were to listen to her oath.
“I swear from this day forth I will do whatever it takes to protect the innocence of Japan. I will not quit until all the evil is wiped from the face of this nation. Whatever it takes!” She said with an edge.
She put the sword away and lay down to watch the fire burn out. As she watched the sparks disintegrate she whispered. “I will keep training myself. I will avenge my loved ones. I swear it!”
What do you think of the descriptions?
Converting /tmp/phpbtEf9Y to /dev/stdout