WARNING!! : I know this chapter may be a bit overwhelming for some, and that it also contains a lot of information. I hope that doesn’t hinder your decision about the rest of the story. It gets better. When I write I tend to mention some more info in the first chapter or so, but dialogue grows. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED! Please, it’s really much more interesting later.
Thanks.
-Itsumademo
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“Are you sure about this?” Myto questioned his best friend softly, placing the ancient stone in her hands.
Ookawa gently nestled the necklace making sure the charm placed on the walls and doors was doing its job efficiently. No one needed to eavesdrop on their last conversation.
“Yes. I need to get out of this place…even if I was found innocent; there is no possible way I would be respected anymore. I need to leave…” she looked down at her bare feet then turned back up to gaze into his pale blue eyes “…I will miss you greatly Myto…” a tear escaping her aqua colored eyes stained her elegant gown.
“Respect? Ookawa, I wish you wouldn’t seem so reserved. We both know you’re not afraid of some dumb respect problem.”
He really hated it when she noticeably avoided her true feelings towards something. He knew she was scared of herself.
Myto wrapped his arms around Ookawa embracing her tightly. She had been weakening ever since this stupid trial began and everything was collapsing around her.
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The Blade of Infinite Power was a sword that gave its wielder the power to control the worlds. However no one could be simply given this authority, so the Goddesses of Elements and Chaos bound the blade to the fisher of time between Senkyou and Earth. This conclusion had been made because of the horrific outcome of The War of Beginnings.
The war had erupted some seven thousand years after Senkyou’s creation, due to an erratic surge and plunge in power. The Blade was being relentlessly claimed by a myriad of beings seeking more control. So they hide the blade from any who could use it.
Time was an element that had never been or could ever be mastered. Only Gods and Goddess’s controlled it, but on rare occasion someone came who had been given this power. History records three known individuals who have ever grasped Time.
Tourin, a Kouken-Tamira from eighty-nine thousand years ago, appeared in Senkyou during a time of rebirth. However he returned to his own time after a mere ten years and never returned; it was assumed he had perished in The War of Beginnings, which had later been revealed to be his true time period.
Matsuro, a Drutai Mage from forty-five thousand years ago, emerged in Senkyou only to wreak havoc on every town he stumbled upon in search of more power. When the devastation had subsided the Kouken assumed Matsuro had either died or returned to his own time period.
Hitotsu, an unusually powerful Tamira, came into view of the rulers of Senkyou in the times after The War of Beginnings. Hitotsu would have been a Kouken-Tamira if it were not for the fact that they had yet to be created. He later became known as The First Chosen and initiator of the Kouken or Guardian.
The Kouken consisted of any Tamira that could control an element, which was rare throughout the Tamira. They would be apprenticed by a master and dedicate their lives to the protection of The Chosen and The Blade of Infinite Power. However during the reign of the twenty-fourth Chosen named Shukensha, the Blade vanished from the fisher and Time itself.
It’s been 100 years since the Blade vanished. Fifteen Kouken have been executed for treason, thirteen have been imprisoned for suspicion of involvement and await their trials, and three have been accused of not only conspiring against The Chosen, but designing the plans for and doing the action of stealing the Blade of Infinite Power.
Ookawa had been one of those three.
She was not only unusual in appearance, but also one of the most powerful Kouken ever to exist. She has endured fifty years of trials with ease, but is now drained of the will to continue on. She had no true proof that she didn’t steal the Blade, and was frightened of what she might have to or will do next. So she designed a plan to escape not only the cell she was confined to, but her life in general.
Ookawa had decided to reconstruct a new life for herself…one where she wasn’t inconvenienced with protecting things or researching new projects or just being in her muddled life. Myto knew all this, not because she had discussed the arrangement in detail with him in advance, but since it was written all over her face when she looked at him. She was worn-out and her vivid aqua eyes no longer held the same carefree expression they once had fifty years ago. So he agreed to let her go, forever.
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“I should begin…” she whispered into his ear.
Myto unwillingly released her and she stepped back to look into his face. She was trying so hard to prove she was just fine, but he knew she was faking the contentment displayed by her small smile.
“I do not want to leave you either. But I should begin, the reconstruction will take about 50 years to complete. And besides, Roiyaru is expecting your presence at today’s trial…you should not disappoint him.”
She placed her hands on the side of his face, smiling warmly at him…one last time. Afterward, Ookawa turned and walked to the circle she had made on the smooth floor and seated herself with the pendant held openly in her palms and closed her eyes.
Myto couldn’t believe this would be the last time he saw her smile, or her beautiful eyes, or…her.
“Will I ever see you again?”
She didn’t even open her eyes to reply to his query just simply spoke the words.
“Goodbye…my friend.”
Myto would not have let her begin with an answer like that, if it were not for the true smile she had on her face. He knew what she was saying; he knew that someday their paths would cross again.
The walls started to vibrate slightly, however no one would notice. Ookawa had designed him to pick up such things when she had created him two hundred years ago. He was her guardian after all.
The charms that had once been placed to merely sound proof the room were now fulfilling there true purpose. Eventually the room began to reconstruct its appearance, removing Ookawa and whatever things she may have had with her, all that was left remaining was a vacant room.
Myto had at this time turned around and started heading for the door. He knew she was still in the room, but her charms caused her to become untraceable. Although, he really wasn’t sure how comfortable he was leaving Ookawa in this space for 50 years, undetectable or not. But she had assured him that her plan would work and she would be absolutely fine.
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Ookawa had only sat down when Myto asked her. She knew he would, but all she could do was smile and say her last farewell, before she began to conceal herself.
Even though she was now appearing as if her body was dissolving, she could still sense his hesitation in leaving the room. After a few more minutes, she detected his footfalls, he had left her and she was alone.
Holding the stone out plainly in her weak hands, Ookawa began reciting the incantation. Small shocks crept up her backbone and the forceful component pulsed through her body.
Energy, her favorite element to control.
She channeled the power to her brain and began working on her short term memory. Ookawa had already decided what she wanted to do, so she made sure not to screen that part of her memory until she had finished.
She reviewed the eight or nine memories stored in her short term memory then commenced the process. While scanning through the first remembrance; she had to be sure not to erase anything, just hide it using the artificial ones she creates and layers over them. Keeping this in mind she began working on changing every sensation to another then continued by altering what she heard, saw, spoke …everything.
Ookawa continued this same process for every sense in her short term memory. Once she was sure everything was concealed she started designing a memory around every feeling she had changed…every voice…and every face.
She knew that due to her weakened state everything she managed to alter would probably not take complete effect until a day or two after she had finished rebuilding. Fortunately she knew that her body would adapt quickly to her newly applied settings and send her into a comatose-like state for a few days.
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It was an unnamed charm, except for its stamp as forbidden. There were very few who even knew the origins of memory reconstruction, other than its supposed difficulties. And to do a layering this complicated was an incredibly complex task to accomplish, even for the most skilled Kouken. But Ookawa was special…
Unlike normal Kouken-Tamira she could control every element, when it was doubtful a Kouken-Tamira could even have power over two. She also had an atypical appearance, with jet black hair and shining aqua eyes. Tamira simply had gray or white hair with pale blue or brown eyes and an occasional dark red coloring in the iris.
Plus, she was only seven hundred fifty years old and had already always been exceptionally gifted with knowledge and wisdom…words in particular. She knew what all things were and what every word meant, even when she had never learned it. Though when she attempted to match a definition to a word she had not been taught, she would often have difficulty placing it.
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After shifting everything in her short term memory she made certain there were no lose ends that may possibly trigger her memories back. She tracked every passage and checked every nerve message in her cerebral cortex. Luckily all stimuli had successfully been screened and every nerve message reformed.
Now it was time for the long term memory. This chamber of the brain was where she knew she would end up using most of her skills. There was more work to do on the design intended for a new life of memories, not only for herself but also those of the people she would be in contact with.
Ookawa was still chanting the incantation effortlessly with her necklace helping to conduct the energy flow, when she began the hardest of the work for the next 50 years.
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A large gust of freezing wind blew through the town street, rattling all the shutters and blasting through the trees. The rain pounded hard onto the concrete side walk, causing the young man to curse loudly, then attempt to shield his face from the icy cold.
“I can’t wait to get home and dry off! This weather is dreadful!” Ronin angrily muttered to himself through the scarf wrapped around his neck and mouth. When he noticed something…no someone lying in the middle of the road.
“What the…! Hey, are you ok! Hello!”
He ran to the side of the young woman in the road. Luckily for her the street here was no longer used due to construction that has never been completed, otherwise she would have easily been run over.
Ronin checked her pulse and could tell it was slow but steady. Gently he lifted her head onto his lap so she wouldn’t be completely on the cold, dirty road and draped his coat around her soaked body. He had never seen this girl before and assumed she must be new in town. He started to check the pockets of her jeans as politely as one could while trying to find some form of ID.
While inspecting her left pocket he felt a warm hand on his cheek. Ronin looked down to find himself staring straight into the face of what he could only register as an angel with a warm smile.
The angel, as he referred to her as, spoke in a placid and quite voice “My name is Kiyoko, I got lost two days ago and my family is probably worried. Please take me home”.
She smiled and her eyes fluttered shut. She had lost consciousness again.
Ronin had thought she answered rather properly and almost mechanically for someone who kept coming in and out of the world of the living or anyone in general, but overlooked this somewhat strange observation.
Unfortunately, the girl had failed to give him her address. So he made sure the coat was secure and proceeded to lift her up and take her to the police station, which was thankfully only a block from where they had been.
Ronin looked back down into her face as he headed toward the station. She was smiling. His train of thought began to wonder as he decided she must be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had long jet black hair and her aqua eyes were mesmerizing. However he did notice now that her clothes were actually a little odd. She appeared to be wearing old jeans and a light-weight short sleeved shirt. It’s winter! …but…she does look really pretty.
Nevertheless, Ronin didn’t have time to continue dwelling on his hormones, much to his disappointment, since they had now arrived at the doors of the police station.
He waited patiently for someone to come and help him, with Kiyoko lain upon the seat beside him. A tall man in his late thirties or early forties came out a few minutes after they had gotten there and instantly his face lit up when he saw the girl laying on the bench.
“It’s the girl! Guys come out here! It’s that girl the couple was looking for earlier! You know the one with the aqua colored eyes…she’s here!” The man was ecstatic and came over to Ronin to ask him a few questions.
“So boy, what happened?”
Although the man’s tone seemed a little accusing Ronin answered anyway.
“I was walking home from work, when I saw someone lying in the middle of the road. I came over and she was just…there without a coat or any warm clothing. I was looking for some ID when she woke up and told me her name was Kiyoko and she had gotten lost two days ago. She asked me to take her home, but failed to give any address before she lost consciousness again. So I brought her here.”
“Hmmm. Well, this is her alright. Her parents were in here this morning telling us she had gone missing when she went out and they hadn’t seen her since. I better give them a call. You should stay here so you can personally tell them what happened; I think they would like to know.”
“Ok. Can I call my folks and tell them I’ll be late?”
“Sure, phone’s over there.”
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Her parents were overjoyed when they saw Kiyoko, who had woken up when the pair arrived.
“Thank you so much young man” her mother said to Ronin, while her father merely gave him an encouraging smile. They walked over to the desk to get any further information. Kiyoko then turned to face Ronin.
“Thank you.” She said smiling softly; he felt his stomach do a full blown somersault. She came closer to him and much to Ronin’s elated surprise, gently placed a light kiss on his cheek.
In his ear she whispered. “…Tatsujun…” Her hot breath was cascading over his ear and down his neck, furthermore her lips were inches away from grazing his skin…it was virtually killing him.
He really wanted to push her silky black hair behind her ear and hold her in his arms forever. When she had finally pulled away from his face, she blinked rapidly looking at him with a progressively more confused look than she had worn a few seconds ago.
“Did…did I just say something?”
“Uh…no...?”
Regrettably, he hadn’t really been listening to her; his hormones had yet again gotten the better of his other senses.
“You should get some rest you’re probably very tired.” He exhaled in relief, while in the corner of his eye he saw her eyes close as she started to fall forward. Ronin lunged for Kiyoko, catching her before she had collided with the ground. Her parents came over quickly and her father took her up in his arms.
“She’s unconscious again and is most likely very weak…she should have plenty of rest.” He thought he must have sounds like a complete idiot. It’s not like he was some sort of doctor.
“Thank you for your concern and helping us get our daughter back.” Her mother smiled at him, but it wasn’t the same smile as Kiyoko’s…neither was her father’s. He thought that was a little out of the ordinary, but disregarded the thought as they left the building.
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As Ronin walked home all he could think of was her warm smile, black hair, aqua eyes, and…her kiss. He unconsciously brought his hand to touch the spot on his cheek where her lips had been. It was still warm…when he realized how stupid that was he found himself coming face to face with a young man about his age. However he looked anything but friendly at the moment, in fact he looked down right furious.
“WHAT DID YOU DO TO KIYOKO!”
This guy’s question had thrown him out of his daydreams and into an utter sense of confusion and misunderstanding. Not only had this guy just appeared out of no where, but Ronin had never met him and the guy was already yelling at him.
“What are you talking about?! I’ve never met you before!”
“You may not know me, but I know of you…Ronin right? The second year pretty boy. I know all about you. You date the prettiest girl you can find then dump her if she doesn’t give you what you want! You’re such a pervert!”
This guy was ticked. But he had it all wrong.
“Slow down. First of all, I don’t appreciate the name calling here. And you really need to get your facts straight, dude. The girls I date just end up being dull or bizarre. That’s why I dump ‘em.”
“Well then don’t date ‘em in the first place. It’s not like it takes a genius to figure that out.”
Ronin was getting the feeling this guy didn’t like him very much.
“I date them to be fair. They ask me; turning them down would be rude so I give them a chance. It’s not my fault they always turn out the same.”
“Yeah, yeah, fine, whatever. I believe you...” The guy didn’t seem like he actually believed Ronin at all. “So, Kiyoko, you found her did you.” He seemed to be irritated that he had not only just exploded in the middle of the road but also found out all his devious information was fictitious.
“Yeah. She’s fine now; her parent’s just took her home.”
“Thanks for finding her…I guess.”
“You’re welcome…? Sorry, umm but what’s your name? You’re a first year, right?”
“Name’s Kihaku, yeah I’m a first year. What of it?”
“Nothin, so Kihaku… are you the boyfriend?” Kihaku defiantly blushed a little, but Ronin ignored it…he just wanted to know if Kiyoko was taken or not.
“No! …we have been friends since we were little. I always look out for her; she tends to be a little too adventurous.”
“Oh. Well, ok. I guess I’ll see you in school tomorrow then?”
“Whatever.” He bypassed Ronin and trudged off down the sidewalk.
That had to be the weirdest conversation Ronin had ever had with another guy. No…anyone. He turned around after watching Kihaku walk down the path towards what was most likely Kiyoko’s home. He tried not to dwell on his strange meeting with Kihaku; instead he kept visualizing the only thing in his head at the time. Her warm smile and aqua eyes.
