Case Subject: One Chai Xianghua, age 20. Born April 2, 1573 in Peking, China. The city, later known as Beijing, served as the captital throughout the golden age of one of the two most powerful nations in Aisa, second only to Japan at the time. Had an alliance with Korea during their Seven-Year War, and shared technology and weaponry with them. As a result, the Seong's Long Sword school uses mostly weaponry from Northern China: the jian- a double edged sword; dao- the broadsword; zhanmadao- long handled broadsword; dadao- greatsword; and the damaging and dangerous hook sword. Family has a long and detailed history in the Ming Emperor's guard and martial arts in general. Her own lineage starts with her mother, Xiangfei, who became extremely skilled with a jian in the art of Ling-Sheng Su swordplay and tai chi. Indeed, she became so skilled that she surpassed even the monks with her natural talent for defending herself. However, since she was a woman, she was disqualified her from the right to bear the Krita-Yuga, a tai chi jian that was part of the temple's Divine Trinity. This concerned her not- she had other matters in mind. The woman had fallen in love with a monk known as Kong Xiuqiang, who was the most prominant candidate for inheritance of the Kali-Yuga. It was due to his candidacy for inheritance of a sacred artifact that their love was forbidden, and thus kept secret. It was kept a secret for quite some time, too... until the birth of a girl- Xianglian, who would be part of the catastrophe that befell the temple, and the object of Xianghua's future distress. Because of this birth of a bastard child, the two of them would separate forever, due to Xiangfei's overwhelming grief. A man known as Han Dongxiu would protest her leaving, at least without her love, but Xiuqiang was determined to see his training through to the end. Understanding his resolve, Xiangfei agreed with him and prepared to leave. However, she would recieve a parting gift before she left... the Krita-Yuga- the very jian she was denied from inheriting due to her gender. It was a promise that the two of them would meet again someday... but unfortunately, they would not. The man had no idea that he had yet another daughter... the knowledge of Xianghua herself was kept from him so he would devote his time and energy to becoming the successor for the Kali-Yuga. By the time Xianghua's birthday rolled around, Xiuqiang was exiled from the Ling-Sheng Su temple for stealing the Krita-Yuga, and the sword itself had hidden its true form in order to stay pure and untainted. They would *never* find it again during the temple's lifetime. By the time Xianghua was old enough to walk, still without the knowledge of her heritage or family, she had become increasingly interested in her mother's art of combat. For the next five years, she would train diligently and rigorously in order for her skill to match- even surpass that of her own mother. At the age of ten, Xiangfei died, the last words coming from her mouth the same words that drove Xianghua onward. "You were born to complete an important task... cut your path through an uncertain future!" She had little idea of what that task was... yet used the words as a motivator. For the next six years, she would continue her training, and by the time she had joined the personal guard of the Ming emperor she was hailed as a prodigy; a genius with a tai chi jian in hand. It was during these first few months that she met someone quite interesting... a woman who looked like she was from Korea but who spoke Mandarin as if she were a native. This alone intrigued her, not to mention her impressive weapon: a six foot long zhanmadao with a crimson red rod. No one carried those anymore... they had been replaced by changdao, due to the constant raids from Japanese pirates. They were a countermeasure to the extremely long odachi- Japan's long-handled sword. However, the zhanmadao that she wielded looked... new. Untarnished and unblemished, as if it had resisted the effects of time. The blade still shone, the wood looked fresh, the edge looked sharper than anything she had ever seen. She had to make sure. Approaching the woman stealthily, she feinted an attack, just to see what her reaction would be. Such a long and unbalanced weapon would perhaps be too sluggish to wave around in such a fashion. Yet to her surprise... the woman flicked the back end of the weapon upwards with the heel of her right foot as the blade came around to the right side of her head, and the attack was stopped cold. Without her even turning around and looking in Xianghua's direction. As the brown haired Korean turned to face her, Xianghua found that she was no higher than about 5'2" and probably weighed under ninety-five pounds. The weapon was roughtly fifteen, perhaps twenty or thirty pounds heavier than the weilder; how could she possibly block her attack, let alone *lift her weapon*? But she had no time to comment, for the woman was already on the attack- and with preternatural speed. She swung the zhanmadao as if it were made of bamboo or rattan, and quickly at that. It were as if the weapon were of no concequence to her at all! She had to use all of her skill to defend herself from the intense speed of the strikes... not only that, but the woman possessed one hell of a kick, her legs moving more like swords and spears than limbs, lashing out with the force of a cannon. How could she tell? Well, aside from the woman's movement speed, Xianghua was clipped by one of her side kicks, right against her head, and was knocked roughly four feet backwards as her opponent advanced with incredible footwork. In the end, the two of them fought to a draw... and only then, when their resources were strained to their limits did Xianghua call a truce and explain herself. Later, after a bit of discussion, a meeting was arranged in order to meet with the emperor himself. In a shrewd bid to get this highly talented woman named Seong Mi-na working for the empire, she offered the promise of joining the emperor's personal guard. It was an honor bestowed only upon the elite, and Xianghua had just seen such talent within the Korean. Long afterwards, after some time of contemplation, Xianghua concluded that perhaps it was a predetermined step on the road to where they currently were in their relationship. She accepted the offer not by mere words, but by actually coming to the emperor's private residence; unnanounced, of course. Fortunately, she was greeted with a welcome upon arrival- word had already spread of the fight between her and Xianghua. Upon further examination by the emperor himself, he was convinced that she was adept enough for entry into his personal circle of power. However, she politely refused, saying that she had only come to China in order to gather information- nothing more. When it was asked what kind of information, she began explaining her search for Soul Edge, but did not mention why she was looking for the legendary weapon. It was this statement that led the emperor to include her in the hunt for the "sword of heroes", with Xianghua as the leader of a selection from his own line of highly trained specialists in the martial arts. In the end, they were accompanied by Kilik, a former monk from the Ling-Sheng Su, and Maxi, an easygoing pirate from the Ryukyu islands in Japan. A few other capable fighters joined the group, and they soon became a small army, dedicated to the task of revealing the truth behind the Soul Edge for themselves. Along the way, Xianghua had been told of Mi-na's adventures and of the trouble she had countlessly gotten into three years prior to this latest outing. Instead of taking the tale in contempt, she had found qualities which appealed to her- the boldness of her escape from her father's school, the resolve to complete her task regardless of whatever obstacles were in her way, the skill to disarm and defeat her greatest rival, and the will that just plain wouldn't be broken, not even by her father. Not to mention that she was a patriot, much like Xianghua was devoted to serving her country in whatever way possible. And she sympathised with Mi-na on a level far greater than even she herself had expected when told of what she had gone through. Even here, where women were often proven as warriors of strength and courage, some did not want to accept the fact that they stood on equal footing to men. She had not been treated as such, but knew the state of things and sympathised with her. Combined with a respect, even awe of her talents and a notice of her beauty, even in the face of such harsh training and physical exertion, she became far more than a mere friend. It came as a shock to Xianghua when she figured out that she could possibly be in love, and with a woman no less. The only thing that Xianghua knew for sure was that she wanted Mi-na to succeed; to be genuinely happy. And that she wanted to do anything within her power in order to have her friend's happiness come to fruition. She just needed to say it out loud... It wasn't until much later, after countless scrapes, close shaves, and harrowing battles, that she gathered enough courage to speak her mind. Considering all that they had been through, it was time to say it before she lost her opportunity forever. Sensing an opportunity one night as they rested within the hermitage of an old man known as Edge Master, located within the Himalayan moutain range between India and China, she made her move to pour out her heart. It was difficult at first, but the older woman got the message after only a few stuttered phrases. She only said five words as a counter: "I love you too, Xianghua." Everything went from there... up until the point where the party discovered the true face of Soul Edge. The woman could not rightly allow such a sword to fall into her country's possession, much less anyone else's! As she saw Mi-na fall in battle, her emotions rose to the surface, compelling her to run forward in her defense ahead of everyone else. Driven by a desire to protect her newfound love, she battled the azure knight fiercely, matching him blow for blow. Kilik joined the fray, and with the help of the Dvapara-Yuga, they conquered the malevolent power of the one known as Nightmare. Unfortunately, it was not the end... Soul Edge itself came forth, challenging all within its gaze to combat. Drawing everyone, including the unconscious Mi-na into its crimson eye, it sought to devour all existance. Unharmed, due to the influence of the mirrored sash, she watched as the very air around them assaulted her companions, enveloping them in lights of beauty... and consumption. They were immobilized as their souls were stripped away, helpless to do anything but watch. Soon, even Kilik, whose mirrored sash had been weakening during the fight, came under the influence of the desecration. As she too felt the effects... something happened. When the disruptive aura touched her jian, it exploded in a wave of sheer force and healing potency, the shockwave blasting through the emptiness as if to quickly fill it with life. The moment she opened her eyes again, she beheld it. Her weapon had changed- transformed of its own accord. She looked at it in wonder at first, not believing that the blade before her eyes was her mother's keepsake. It had a light blue tint to it- an aura of calming and peace radiated from the otherworldly steel. In awe, she reached out to claim it... and heard her mother's voice. (This is the moment,) it said, the voice hasty and urgent. (Take hold of your destiny, and your future! Quickly- the enemy comes!) No longer doubting that the weapon belonged to her mother, and now her, she took the sword in her left hand. Her vision cleared just as the malevolent spirit was one foot in front of her person. Xianghua raised her weapon in defense, almost too late... And then her eyes widened as the creature was knocked away by a blurred figure, the glint of a blade flashing briefly before the attack. And was that... heat and fire coming from the weapon? She looked to her right and saw Seong Mi-na standing next to her with the zhanmadao held diagonally to the ground as if in completion of a technique. The movement was so fast, not even Xianghua's vision could track it. "Well, don't just stand there- let's get this done!" With a resolved nod, they both charged the enemy simultaneously, working in concert to defeat the evil. Xianghua dealt the final blow and the darkness was shattered, as was the Dvapara-Yuga in the process. Not only that, but it seemed that Mi-na's will had finally been broken... she broke down and burst into tears soon after the battle was over, pleading for someone- anyone to come and finish her off. To make the screams stop. For the next few months, Xianghua became Mi-na's support, lending her aid when she needed it, and in the process explaining about her own self, telling stories of her childhood and her first few months in the Imperial Guards. The bond between the two was deepened and strengthened during this time, so it was a sad thing when she finally had to leave for China again. Sadder still... was the news that she conveyed to the emperor that they had failed to find the Soul Edge. Due to this, she fell out of favor and was given a demeaning, menial position. She cared not about this, however- she was content that the evil had been destroyed. Or so she thought... For the next four years, life settled into a lull for her. She wrote often to her love to see how she was faring, trained diligently in her swordplay, and visited her family from time to time, although their record of flawless service and within the Chai family had been tarnished. More disturbing to Xianghua however, was the fact that she had lost her mother's keepsake sword. That beautiful blade of a pale blue was lost in the void, presumably forever. On top of that, she wanted to convey her feelings about Mi-na to Kilik, for she thought that he could be trusted with such knowledge. However, he shunned it, saying that such things were not befitting of someone who weilded a divine artifact. She didn't speak to him for months, giving him more scars than he could account for from the destruction of the temple before she went silent on him. Edge Master had to heal him for days before resuming his training sessions with the young man. The peaceful interlude was shattered as an attack was declared on Xiwei castle, just on the outer fringe of the Ming empire's western border. According to the scouts, the lords had Soul Edge hidden there and were withholding it from them. The first scouting party had been slain in the process, with just a few escaping to tell the tale. The attack was swift and devastating, and the castle walls and main palace were in ruins. Xianghua was sent to investigate... and found that among the rubble, there were pieces of Soul Edge- the very sword that she figured she had destroyed! If they were the cause behind this madness, as well as the emperor's own fervor... She sent a final letter to Seong Mi-na before heading off on her own quest, without explaining to her where she was going or what she was doing. She had to bear this burden on her own, without interrupting her lover's training and mental cleansing. Soon, she ran into Kilik, who was on a journey of his own in order to resolve his own situation. The two continued arguing about Mi-na for quite a while during their journey, but mostly got along for the duration. However, their adventure was cut short as they entered the west- specificly the country of France. An entire region was under the command of some dark lord- they had to stop and cleanse a village of the evil influence that had been bestowed upon it. Using the Dvapara-Yuga shard around Kilik's neck, they had sucessfully cleared the minds of the villagers... and then, *he* came. A dark-skinned man wearing white and carrying a massive scythe. His aura was immense, as if the man had lived for centuries. "Leave, now. Evil will spread through this place like wildfire, and your efforts will be in vain if you do not escape immediately." Xianghua was frozen in fear for some inexplicable reason. This man... he terrified her to a level which she could not explain. An ancient, forceful presence that overwhelmed hers completely and shattered her resolve, even before she could draw her weapon. She could do nothing but watch as Kilik was beaten senseless by the terrible power of the man with the scythe, who moved as if he were a living, breathing maelstrom- swift, devastating, and damned fast, even with such a large weapon. She was completely ignored by the man as he walked away... But then, he stopped and spoke, his back still turned. "You can't defeat me yet; it is unwise to try," he said as if he were reading her thoughts. Perhaps he was. "But pay it no mind, for the moment. You will soon regain your strength... and your treasure. Use it well." With that, he vanished. She could do nothing to stop him; nothing to help Kilik. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she fainted soon after... Raised back to consciousness by the very people whom they had saved, she noticed that Kilik's wounds had not recovered, nor had he opened his eyes. Disturbed and frantic, she asked for help in bringing him back to the Himalayas, for she had no real idea of any family that the man had, save for the one called Edge Master. As she carried him into the hermitage, she left a letter adressed to him that she would get stronger and more proficient in whatever she needed to know. But she did not include in that letter that one of her sources of strength... would be Mi-na herself. With that, and after extensive training for two full months, she was prepared to leave again. And the first person she would request aid from? Her lover and best friend, Seong Mi-na. However, as she prepared to leave for Korea... she found something in her travel bag. Withdrawing it from the folds of her clothing, she discovered that it was her mother's weapon, still the beat up old jian that she had wielded before. What did this mean? When did it come back to her? And why was it here now of all places? Did it somehow sense that it was needed? Was it sentient, like Soul Edge was? The man's words echoed through her mind as she considered the situation- he had foretold of this happenning. Not only that, but she felt that her training was also part of his prediction. "You will soon regain your strength..." So many questions to awnser- so little time to do so. She had to get moving and make contact with Mi-na as soon as she could! Chapter 11- Shadow War (Part 4) ________________________________________________________________________ Xianghua was busy enjoying the scenery of the shrine- and also making an attempt to cope with the recent discovery of a dead sister that she had never been told about. If there were one thing that she had learned about lying, it was that it never got anyone anything good, even if the one who lied meant well for all involved. Better to tell the truth than to cause trouble in the end. (My mother hid all this from me,) she said, deep in thought. (So that means that my father could still be alive somewhere, though my sister is not. But why did she not let me know, even when she died? It would have been a perfect time, though I wouldn't know how I would have handled it...) By the time she was finished with that thought, her eyes were furrowed in frustration. She could have done something to stop these events from happenning- said something to her family in order to make contact with her sister. It was only after a while that she figured the anger was pointless. Her mother was dead, her father was missing somewhere, and her sister was lost to the void long before she had the skills that she had now. Little by little, she calmed down. (I'm glad I had that training,) she said to herself as her frantic steps slowed to an even pace again. (I don't know what I would have done- maybe I'd have attacked someone just to vent.) It was possible; she certainly felt like kicking something a few moments ago, and kicking hard. "What's the matter," a young voice piped up behind her. "You seem a bit stressed still, miss Xianghua." She turned slowly to regard the young thirteen year old with black hair, equally black eyes, and a calm gait about him that seemed a bit too practiced for a child his age. She smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine now; but thanks for being so concerned." The boy grinned, and it were as if a light had been turned on. She couldn't help but grin as well; it was infectious. The boy had charisma flowing from him almost in waves that she could feel, just like Mi-na. "Say," he said as he walked alongside the former Imperial Guard, "I was meaning to ask you what you wanted to learn while you were here. After all, in order to have you a part of the clan, however temporary, you have to learn how to act like one of us." Xianghua didn't consider that entirely, and had to think for a moment. Then, she shrugged and smiled, entirely clueless. "I have no idea about the first thing to learn- all I have are my skills. But I sure can put on a good show, that's for sure. Does that help?" The young man nodded. "Oh, yeah; definitely. I know just what you need. But first, introductions. The name's Kageboushi..." ________________________________________________________________________ The second day of meetings and planning. Taki was quickly getting used to this sort of thing, her natural ability to adapt to her situation and surroundings coming into play. More and more time was spent with Kishiumi as the two of them began to relax and get aquainted with one another. She explained that there was a shinto shrine that was dedicated to just water spirits. She was the daughter of one of the priestesses, and wore the standard blue hakama and kimono, both of which were intricate silk. It became the clothes which she wore around the Fu-Ma when she had her entire temple and everyon within it decimated by bandits and brigands who happened to get their hands on some rifles. When it happened, she was still at the young age of eight; she has loathed the weapons ever since, but it was the only hatred she had come to harbor. She served as mostly a healer and a support for the Fu-Ma on occasion, throwing out a spell to clear the mind and defend the body now and then. Her knowledge of herbal medicines and first aid were, as of recent times, unmatched. Not to mention that her mastery of sui-ren, the techniques and skills involving water, was her specialty. If there were a body of water around, she could sense it from a good mile away- she even had the rumored spiritual ability to command these waters and shape them to her will. She could also profess to be well-trained in staff, spear, and naginata combat, making her a formidable opponent during extreme situations. Taki was notably impressed, but her face showed nothing. Expecting as such, all that Kishiumi did was smile. "You certainly try and keep your emotions within you most of the time, don't you?" Taki nodded. "When in doubt, think with your head instead of the heart- such matters will keep you alive." The younger woman, though not much younger for she was only age 23, giggled at this. "Is that so? And what if there is a time when you are not threatened?" Taki looked over at the miko, quirking one of her eyebrows as she did so. "Is this some kind of test or game? Are you trying to provoke a reaction from me in some way?" Kishiumi laughed again, and it was the sound of crystal bells chiming in harmony. "No, no. You're looking at it subjectively; think of it in an objective light. Consider it as only a question- nothing more." She did so... and found that she had an easy awnser. Easy, but one that she would not admit to so readily. "I... I don't know what I would do," she finally said, a bit of discomfort seeping into her voice. Somewhere within her subconscious, she smirked. The woman had evoked a reaction, even without Taki's knowledge; it was a damn good ploy, and she had fallen for it. Kishiumi placed her left hand on Taki's right shoulder, and as if it were some kind of balm, Taki's unease went away almost immediately. It was unfamilliar, and a bit disorienting at first, but she did not comment. "There; is that better? You can rely on me until you find the awnser, all right?" Taki looked over at her and nodded. She most definitely needed help when it came to things like expressing herself in more than just combat, though she did have a bit of help in that matter on her last few journeys. But it wasn't like she was going to spill everything to this woman- at least, not yet. "So then," Taki began speaking after she had gotten used to the aura of calm that had seeped through her, "What is the status of the mission that I had sent the councilman on?" Kishiumi sighed and shook her head. "No dice yet- Chie and Hachibei are difficult to find these days. You were correct in the fact that not even your own information network could get a hold of them. However, the search will continue for as long as it takes." (That is,) Taki thought to herself, (Until they find them, either alive or dead. I pray that the second one has not happened just yet, I would love to see my friends just once more before my life ended, if only to apologize for what I have put them through.) With that thought in mind, Taki nodded. "Send him a message that no stone should be left unturned and no lead unchecked. I want them found as quickly as possible before we do anything else as far as dealing with our rival faction." Immediately recognizing the note of command in Taki's voice, Kishiumi bowed deeply and hurried off, her body blurring with the speed of her retreat. (Thank you, Kishiumi... for everything.) The kunoichi in red continued her silent walk alone. ________________________________________________________________________ The art of disguise and impersonation, hensojutsu, fit Xianghua well, just like Kageboushi had said. In the three days that she had to learn everything she would need to know on the subject, she had a good time doing it. Being in an opera troupe of sorts during her time within the emperor's personal guards gave her a natural advantage, though learning the languages that it would take in order to fully become someone else would take a much longer time- a few months, perhaps a few years for each. But that was later- for now, she had learned the basics of how to dress and act as anyone, anywhere- all she had to do was observe, remember, copy, and retain her disguise and the role she was to play for as long as she could. It seemed all too easy, until one considered the things that one would be forced to do if they played their part... a bit too well. One had to remain detached and disconnected so that they would not be compromised- it was the essence of a spy and infiltrator to have this unemotional trait. One had to let things pass through instead of harboring them in their heart and mind... "Do you know how to do that," he said with a curious expression. "I mean, I haven't really asked you that, so before we finish, I guess I should ask now." She shrugged, her face a warm smile. She radiated nothing but calm- an emptiness almost. Suddenly, he couldn't read her body movements anymore... (What? When did she-) The confusion on his face was evident, and Xianghua almost laughed. "Does that awnser your question?" The boy calmed himself and nodded, smiling his own smile, though it was one of satisfaction. "Yeah, it pretty much does. I don't have to teach you much of anything anymore- now that you know the basics, the rest is up to you." Xianghua bowed to him, and said "Thank you for everything. I know that three days won't nearly be enough, but thanks anyway. I really appreciate this chance to prove myself worthy." The young man nodded as his smile widened to a genuinely happy grin. "Hey, no worries! Besides, you guys mean well and really want to help- I can tell just by looking at you. As long as it does some good, I'm all for it." Xianghua nodded. "Yeah... me too..." To Be Continued... ________________________________________________________________________ Short? Yes. Sweet? Hope so. Remember folks, you can always post in the thread to inform me what's good/bad/ugly about this one. Please, *please* participate in the poll. I need to know what's going on here in order to have an understanding of what to change, or if I should change anything at all. I'm open to criticism here. Matane, minna-san.
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